Halloween 2014
by 4MeJasper
Summary: It's time, it's time! Halloween. Five stories showing vampire Jasper finding his Bella on Halloween. Spooky fun.
1. Shopping - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

Shopping, Vampire Style

Chapter 1 – The Store

Bella sighed. Working at the Halloween store for Mrs. Weber during the month of October meant money for Christmas in December. But sometimes she just wasn't sure it was worth it. Maybe Charlie and Renee would rather have something homemade this year. Maybe she should learn a craft. Like crochet or scrapbooking or furniture repair or…

High-pitched squeals and the sound of children running brought her back to reality. The Bratton kids had tried on every costume in the store. Eight-year-old Eddie was currently in a vampire outfit, chasing Suzie Van der Merk down an aisle, yelling, "I vant to dreenk your blood."

She knew his mother wasn't going to buy the costume though. _Wait for it, and_…"Come Eddie, Vanna. Put the costumes back on the rack."

Both kids gave theatrical groans, and then the trio made their way to the front door.

"Thank you, dear," Mrs. Bratton said, nodding to Bella as she passed. "I don't think we've found what we're looking for yet."

"Of course. Take your time," Bella replied, trying not to sound as though she was speaking through gritted teeth. _Tomorrow's Halloween, after all._

She looked down the aisles of the store. The shelves were in disarray, masks and plastic pails appeared to be about to fall off of the shelves, and costumes hung crooked from the racks._ It's going to take me an hour to get this straightened up before I leave. Might as well get started. _She picked up the basket of go-backs and returns, and began making her way up the nearest aisle, straightening and putting things away as she went. Time passed slowly doing such work, but finally the store was back in order.

6:00 just couldn't come soon enough. She glanced at her watch—5:50, so she started to count her register. Even in these days of credit cards, there were still cash transactions. Finally, her watch said 5:59. She heard the door chime and turned. "Sorry, we're…" The words died on her lips.

Standing in the door was a tall man, half hidden in shadows. He appeared to already have a costume—he was wearing old-fashioned clothes, a bit worn, but good quality.

"May I help you?" she said.

"You're closed?" he asked, the words trailing over his lips in a Southern drawl like silk.

"How many kids do you have, and are you going to buy or just try on all the merchandise and leave it on the floor?" she blurted out then stopped herself from berating the innocent man further. Why had she said that?

He threw back his head and laughed, then turned the sign on the door so that "Closed" showed and switched off the light. Street light kept the store from being completely blacked-out, but the sudden darkness was unnerving.

"Better?" he asked as he moved closer to the counter.

She was in the dark with a handsome stranger. _I should be scared, but I'm not. Still_…Bella flicked on a light near the back. "Yes, now."

He stopped. "Didn't mean to scare you. Just got into town myself."

"Where are you from?" she said, starting to take out the cash drawer to finish closing. She stopped. Why would she do that in front of a perfect stranger? Especially one who had moved to silently stand directly in front of her. She flinched and the cash drawer fell to the floor, the coins bouncing out of their slots and rolling on the floor.

She sighed and bent to pick them up.

He came around the counter to help her. "Sorry. Now I've managed to startle you, too," he said as he bent over and began pulling the change out from under the display case.

"I've got this," she said. _I should be disturbed he's touching the money. _She wasn't. _Think of something to say_. "Were you looking for something for Halloween?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Um, this is a Halloween store," she said, standing up to put the cash back into the register.

He looked puzzled briefly then smiled. Suddenly seeming to notice he was behind the counter with her, he walked to the front of the display case. "Better?" he asked softly.

She blushed and nodded.

"Just new in town," he said, turning to look around the store. "Thought I would check out the neighborhood."

"Oh." _Yep, you must sound really smart to him._

He watched as she finished counting the money and closed the register. She went to the back room and felt a sense of both relief and loss that he didn't follow her. As she punched out and locked the money in the store's safe, she listened for the sound of the door closing. She didn't hear it.

She went back into the main store area, and he was lingering by the door, looking out into the growing twilight. Because it was late October, it was already dark. When she reached him, he said, "It's getting late. Do you need an escort somewhere?"

"I was just going to grab something to eat," Bella said, zipping up her hoodie. _Such formal language._

"Sounds good, but I dined earlier."

Her heart sank.

"Maybe I can get a cup of coffee while you eat?" he added.

"Sure. There's a place just down the block, Forks Coffee Shop," Bella replied. "Actually, almost everything is down the block. We're a small town."

"I noticed, and I love small towns," he said. "Where I grew up, most towns were small."

They went outside and he waited, looking down the street, while she locked the store. They walked the two blocks down Forks Avenue to the Forks Coffee Shop in a light drizzle. A few cars passed, one nearly splashing them in front of the library.

When they reached the diner, he held the door open to allow her to pass. Once inside, they stood by the counter at the entrance.

In a small town, everything was noticed. Conversation seemed to come to a standstill. The coffee shop's longest serving waitress, Marge, dropped a coffee pot on the floor, and the glass shattered with a resounding crash. Coffee splashed everywhere, including on Marge's uniform and the people sitting at the table nearest to her.

_Nice entrance. Not even my own clumsiness._

"Sit anywhere," Marge stammered, after she recovered her breath. She turned to the couple she had splashed at the table. "I'm sorry. Let me get something to clean this up."

The man was grumbling, wiping off his cellphone. The woman was dabbing at her white sweater with a napkin. _Yeah, that's going to be a problem._

Bella found a booth near the back. It was close to the restrooms, but at least they wouldn't be surrounded by staring eyes. This way the rest of the restaurant crowd could only stare at the back of one of them.

The stranger extended his hand toward a booth seat, and she sat down. He sat across from her with his back to the crowd.

Marge didn't take their orders. Lauren came instead. Bella knew this wasn't her station, but figured Lauren had just moved in to look at the stranger. "Your usual?" she asked Bella. When Bella nodded, she leaned closer to Jasper. "What can I do for you, hun?"she asked in a husky voice.

"Just coffee," he replied, never taking his eyes off of Bella.

Disappointed, Lauren straightened up and left.

"So," Bella said, "I didn't get your name."

"Jasper," he said. "Yours?"

"Bella," she replied.

"Bella," he said, dragging the two syllables over his tongue slowly. "It suits you." He leaned forward and whispered, "It means beautiful in Italian."

Shivers ran up and down her entire body at those words and that voice. She blushed.

"What brings you to town?" she asked, not knowing how to respond to the compliment.** "**You said you were new."

He shifted in his seat. "Looking into getting some property. Hear there's good hunting in this area."

She nodded. "Lots of deer. Good fishing, too. What do you like to hunt?"

He gave a strange smile. "I hunt a variety of prey. Deer, elk, bear."

_Prey. What an odd choice of a word._

"Some of my Dad's friends hunt," she said. "I hear it can be a challenge getting to game. Lots of ferns and nurse logs in the area, and the guys are always talking about how they have to cross streams and complain about getting their gear wet."

"Mine doesn't get wet," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow.

"I travel light," he continued. "Seems only fair. If the deer is traveling light, so should I."

He leaned across the table, and seemed to be reaching for her hand when Marge appeared with the food. Guess it was her turn to check out the newcomer.

"Mushroom omelet with dry wheat toast," she said as she put Bella's order in front of her. "Freshen your coffee?" she asked Jasper.

Jasper shook his head. "Still letting it cool," he replied.

Xxx

Thanks for your interest in my story. Please leave a review. I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers. Hope everyone has a great October!


	2. Shopping - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

Shopping, Vampire Style

Chapter 2– The Forest

_He leaned across the table, and seemed to be reaching for her hand when Marge appeared with the food. Guess it was her turn to check out the newcomer._

"_Mushroom omelet with dry wheat toast," she said as she put Bella's order in front of her. "Freshen your coffee?" she asked Jasper._

_Jasper shook his head. "Still letting it cool," he replied._

"So, what are you doing for the rest of the evening?" Jasper asked as Bella finished her meal.

"I have to finish getting my house ready for tomorrow," Bella replied.

He stared at her, as if asking her a question.

"Tomorrow is Halloween, so I get the house ready for Halloween," she said.

"Of course," he said. "Are you having a party?"

"Just trick-or-treaters."

"Maybe when you're done you can come look at one of the properties I was considering."

"Sure," she said. _He wants to come back to the house? What will Charlie do when he seems him_? Most of the high school boys Bella had brought home had found the chief of police quite daunting.

Jasper insisted on paying, and oddly, that felt OK to her. When they left, she found he had taken her hand. It was weird, as he had his gloves on, but it still felt just right as they walked side-by-side in the dark to her truck parked on Forks Avenue just past the store.

He paused in front of her truck when they approached it.

"This is mine," she said. He glanced at her, excitement in his eyes, and she realized he had been staring at it because he found it interesting, not because he knew it was hers. She usually apologized for it, but he seemed to like it.

"They just don't make them like this anymore," he said, looking at it admiringly. He patted the bulbous places in the body that covered the wheels with one hand, almost like he was touching a horse. "Glad to see they're still being used."

"Yeah. Some people don't like my truck," she said. "They think it's too old."

"Nonsense. I assume it runs just fine?"

"It does," she replied. "A little noisy, but it gets me where I want to go."

"I used to have one something like this. It was a long time ago," he added. As they made their way to her house, she pointed out the hospital and the houses of a few friends along the way.

Once they arrived, she parked her truck and Jasper follower her in. She looked around the familiar yellow kitchen, wondering how it looked to him. Plain, ordinary, she thought. He sat down at the small table by the window and looked at the pumpkin sitting in the center of the table.

"Jack-o-lantern time," she announced. "Scary or silly?"

"Your gourd," he replied.

"Silly, I think," she said as she grabbed newspapers from the recycle bin to set beneath the pumpkin.

He helped her carve the pumpkin and hang lights on the front porch. He was so tall he didn't need a ladder. They were done very quickly. When he had hung the last string, he came down to join her in the yard. The house looked appropriately halloweened with the lights up, pumpkins on the porch and step, and the jack-o-lantern set on a stool next to the door.

"My turn?" he asked with a purr.

"Of course," she said, feeling a blush rising.

He leaned forward to touch her cheek. "You don't have to be afraid, you know. I'll never let anything happen to you." His eyes were mesmerizing, and she felt herself being lured into their orbit which promised both excitement and danger. The feeling made her shiver.

"Chilly?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I'll grab my jacket," she replied.

She returned to the porch to grab her jacket from the porch swing, casting a last glance at the jack-o-lantern as she passed it. For some reason she felt a pang, a sense of loss as she passed it.

Out in the yard, her boots sloshed in the mud. There had been a light drizzle while they were inside, but it had ended. She headed toward her truck in the driveway, but Jasper stopped her.

"Let's take the Jeep," he said. She looked toward K Street and saw a hulking vehicle looming on the other side of the drainage ditch in front of the house.

"Where did that come from?" she asked.

"I asked my brother to drop it off. He's been looking at the properties today and was headed to the diner to eat, so I called him and he left it."

"How will he get back?" Bella asked.

"We're just staying at the Pacific Inn across from the diner."

As they walked up to it, she saw the red Jeep was streaked with mud. He lifted her up and then climbed in on the other side.

"Looks like he put in some gas," Jasper said as he turned it on.

He drove easily in the night. For someone new to the area, he seemed very confident.

"So where are we going?" she asked

"I'm looking at a few acres outside of town. I want to build there."

"What would you build?" she asked.

He rubbed his chin with his hand. "It would be like a hunting cabin, but more than a cabin. I grew up in Texas, and I like the rustic look."

After a few minutes of driving, he pulled off Bogachiel Way, drove over a stretch of open land, then parked by a grove of willow trees. "Here we are," he said as he jumped out.

She laughed nervously. "How did you find this? I didn't see any markers."

"The stream we just passed runs through the middle of the plot. C'mon," he said. He leaned over her to turn on the headlights. They lit up a section of trees in front of the Jeep and looked quite ghostly.

_Perfect for the season I guess._

Jasper reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a flashlight then extended his hand to her.

She climbed out of the car seat, and he lifted her to the ground

In the darkness, his blond hair glistened white. His obvious excitement contrasted to her fear of being in the forest at night, leading to a heady mix of both emotions.

He shone the light at their feet as they walked into the willow grove. The cluster of trees opened onto a small creek. He splashed into the creek then turned and, in a surprising movement, lifted her and carried her across the stream. He set her on the rocky bed on the other side.

Her heart beat faster from the unexpected contact with him as well as the spooky surroundings. It was dark, and there weren't many sounds. She couldn't hear traffic from the road, which couldn't be far.

"I saw some elk here earlier today," he said, his voice startling her so close to her ear. "They're still close by."

"How can you tell?" she whispered.

"I can smell them."

_That was an odd thing to say. But maybe…_She decided to try for herself. She took an exploratory sniff, but she couldn't smell any elk. She did pick up the forest scents, including the damp, the slight smell of the decaying logs intermingled with the fresh smell of the rain. But nothing that smelled like an animal. _Since he's used to hunting, he must be more sensitive to their odor._

He led her forward, shining the light on the ground at their feet. Soon they were back into the trees and the going was tougher. Smaller undergrowth meant unsure footing for Bella.

"Listen," he whispered in her ear. The excitement in his voice was catching, and anticipation started to push back her fear of the dark. She listened and was surprised to find she could hear something. Small sounds of shuffling and a few low grunts.

"You hear them, too?" he asked.

Bella nodded.

He handed her the flashlight, pressing it into her gloved hand. "Want me to catch one for you?"

She glanced up at his eyes and nodded again.

Then he was gone. She didn't see him leave, but a few seconds later she heard a rumbling and a moan plus snorts from the darkness in front of her.

Then his outline emerged from the shadows, carrying something.

She stood frozen as he lay an elk at her feet.

Stunned, fright and excitement raced through her as she looked at the enormous animal in front of her. She bent over to touch it. Its fur was thick and shaggy, but warm.

She shivered and looked up at Jasper, then shivered again at the sight of blood at the corner of his mouth and dotting his chin.

"It doesn't frighten you, at least, not completely," he mused. "You're not afraid of me. You're a natural for this."

"What are you going to do with it?" she asked him. 

"Feed, before…" he said.

He bent over and pulled her next to him. She reached out and wiped away the blood on his chin. He held still, an amused look playing across his face.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "How does it taste?"

He laughed, startled at the question. "It's not all that appetizing, but…"

Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and lifted. Growls sounded throughout the area. A man appeared between herself and Jasper and she heard a roar. It sounded as though it came from Jasper.

"Jasper, wait. Think about this," the man standing between them said.

"Leave him alone," she cried out.

"We're not going to let him hurt you. You're safe now," a woman said from the shadows.

_There are more of them?_ Bella wanted to turn to see who else was there, but she couldn't take her eyes off Jasper's shadowy figure in the darkness ahead of her. She could see the blond man in front of her turning, so she followed his motion, occasionally seeing Jasper's outline appearing then disappearing in the darkness.

"It's not what you think, Carlisle," Jasper's voice came out of the dark.

"Just calm down," the man who must have be Carlisle answered.

"She wants to be with me, and I want to be with her."

Carlisle stopped moving, so she guessed that Jasper had as well. Jasper moved forward out of the shadows so that he was fully in view, standing directly in front of Carlisle, but Carlisle didn't budge. She could see his lips moving as if he was speaking to Carlisle in a voice too low for her to hear. He saw her looking at him and he smiled.

"Let me explain it to her," Jasper said.

Carlisle nodded and stepped aside. "It's OK, Emmett," he said, and the arms that had been holding her relaxed and released her.

"Thanks," she said, turning to see a huge man with dark hair and a boyish face. He was looking at Jasper intently. Emmett nodded at her.

Bella went forward to Jasper, who removed his glove before holding out his hand to her. When she made contact, she felt his hand was cold, hard as marble. His eyes were intense and he seemed to be waiting for her reaction. When she slipped her hand to the side of his and closed it around his thumb and palm, he pulled her toward him, clasping both her hands in his and putting the other arm around her waist.

He stood above her looking down, and she stared. She realized it was quiet again, only the sounds of dripping from the forest. She wanted to look to see if the others were gone, but she didn't want to look away.

"They left," Jasper said. "It's just you and I now."

She smiled and leaned in, pulling one hand free to set it on his chest.

He kissed the top of her head. "Ready?" was all he asked.

She looked up at him and nodded. She knew she was leaving everything she loved behind, but the pull of this…being—not man, but something else—was so strong.

He lifted her into his arms and she tucked her head into his chest.

As he took off running into the darkness, she curled against him. Whatever came next, she was where she belonged.

THE END

Thank you for your interest in my story. First one of the season!

Please leave a review. I will send a preview of the next story to all reviewers.


	3. Diner - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Mysterious Jasper)

Diner

Chapter 1 – The Meeting

Bella sat at the formica-topped counter of Forks' diner, The Forks Coffee Shop. She had been drawn to the town diner a lot lately, overcome with a strange feeling of needing to be here. She tried to reason with herself that this wasn't like sitting at a regular bar, not at all. She was at the counter of a coffee shop, in one of those attached swivel chairs.

She felt a bit like she was sitting at a bar, though. Exposed. Anyone could sit next to her, after all.

Bella looked back at the empty booths just a few feet from her perch. That's where she and Charlie usually sat, where he would dig into his usual order, sirloin steak with berry cobbler.

She huffeded, blowing air up at her bangs. She had felt weird for several days, a little dizzy and restless, and had briefly considered running down to the Forks Community Hospital for an exam. But what would she tell them?

They all knew her down there. Even though she had been gone for years, the Chief of Police's daughter's clumsiness was the stuff of legend in the local medical community. Then again, there was that new doctor, and according to the rumor mill, he was hot. She had spent so much time lately at the coffee shop that she was better informed than she wanted to be.

In addition to the hot doctor, there was the mysterious new guy who had come to the coffee shop a week ago. The waitresses still talked about him, as did all the ladies who came in to "catch up" over coffee.

He had come in shaking off the rain. Marge, the longest-serving waitress, said that when he walked in, all conversation had stopped, aside from some fisherman too busy talking about lures and whatever.

Bella shook her head. Didn't take much to get people's attention in a town this size. Tourist season was over, and most of the hunters and fishermen were regulars.

Suddenly all conversation stopped. She turned, and there he was, looking like a refugee from the past, someone an old movie. Tall. Wearing a black hat and long gray coat.

Who wore hats these days? It looked good on him, though.

Bella wasn't surprised when he seemed to hone in on her and walked straight up to the counter, taking a seat next to her.

"Been waiting long?" he asked.

"Just got here, haven't even ordered," she replied. Wait, she hadn't been waiting for him, had she? "I'm sorry, but I think you've confused me with someone else."

He shook his head, so slight a gesture she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been looking.

Marge came over with her order pad at the ready. "Usual?" she asked Bella.

"Yes, please," Bella replied. "Veggie burger and fries."

"For you, sir?" Marge asked, her voice shaking a little with excitement.

"Coffee for now, please" he said, sliding the menu back onto the slot. He stared ahead, catching the eye of the cook on the other side of the order window. The cook turned away.

Bella noticed that no one in the coffee shop was talking. Aside from the sounds in the kitchen and the rain outside, it was silent. The occasional fork clinking on a porcelain plate. You could almost hear that the plate was one of those white oval things.

"So, are you here for the fishing?" she asked.

"You might say the hunting," he replied.

"This rain never lasts long," she said. "It'll end soon."

He turned to her. "Does the rain bother you?"

"It's wet and cold, that's all." _God, but I sound stupid._

"Actually, we just moved here. Have a house not far from here, just up the 101 a piece, right around Sappho. We're having a small get-together tomorrow, hosted by my stepmother. Maybe you would like to come?"

Stepmother. That sounded nice and safe. "Sure," she said.

He picked up his phone and played with it for a moment. Finally he put it away. "I just contacted my sister for the details. It's a costume party. Pretty much just the family so far, as we're so new here we haven't met many people. Around 8:00 then?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I'll pick you up," he said and slid off his stool.

"Wait," she said. He was already out the door. "You don't know where I live."

"You're the sheriff's daughter, honey," Lauren said. "Everybody knows where you live."

_But he's new to town, didn't ask where I lived, and doesn't know my name_. Bella race to the door to stop him. But when she looked into the parking lot, the stranger was gone. She didn't see any cars pulling out either. It was as if he had never been there. Would he come? The strange aching in her chest she had been feeling over the past few days intensified.

The next night was Halloween. There was a steady stream of trick-or-treaters after 6:15, but she turned off the light and brought the pumpkins inside the house at 7:30.

Charlie watched her from his vantage point at the kitchen table. "Run out of candy?"

"No, Dad," she replied. "Plenty of candy left, including your favorite, Mars bars. Take it with you to the station when you go. You'll probably get a call tonight, right?"

As if it had been waiting for its cue, the phone rang. Charlie picked it up, still staring at Bella. He listened for a few minutes, giving a few grunts, then finally said, "'l'll check it out," before hanging up the phone.

"Gotta go. Pranks are starting up," Charlie said as he put on his hat and gun belt. "But really, why did you turn out the light?"

"Got a party to go to. Costume party," she replied.

"You hate costume parties," Charlie said flatly. "You hate the rain, you hate attention, and you hate costume parties. Always have."

"Gotta grow up some time," Bella replied.

Charlie sighed. "I hope you're not going to be at one I'm going to have to bust," he said.

"Hope not."

He shot her a look.

"I don't think so," she said. "His mother is giving it."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't count on adults to act like grown-ups," he stated.

As Charlie walked down the steps, Bella watched him until he got into the car. Even though it was a small town, she always felt a pang as he left, wondering if she would see him again or if this would be the day she would get the dreaded call that something had happened.

After he pulled away, she ran upstairs. She felt a sense of excitement, anticipation. And quite frankly, a touch of lust. The stranger had been good-looking, after all.

Bella had borrowed one of Angela's old costumes for the party. Thank heavens Angela got into the spirit of the season, but also her mother made her costumes, so she had one for Bella to borrow. It was an outfit for one of the elves from Lord of the Rings. The costume consisted of a necklace, tiara, and long cloak, and directions for prosthetic ears. Who was she supposed to be again? Arwen, Aaragon's elf girlfriend. _Yeah, I look just like Liv Tyler._

Bella looked in the mirror, considering her makeup. She just couldn't deal with pointy ears so she put on the cloak, tiara and jewelry, then went down to the living room, and turned on the porch light.

Xxx

Hope everybody is having a nice October. Please leave me a review, and let me know what you think. I'll send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.


	4. Diner - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Mysterious Jasper)

Diner – Chapter 2

_Bella had borrowed one of Angela's old costumes. Thank heavens Angela got into the spirit of the season, but also her mother made her costumes, so she had one for Bella to borrow. It was an outfit for one of the elves from Lord of the Rings. The costume consisted of a necklace, tiara, and long cloak. Who was she supposed to be again? Arwen, Aaragon's elf girlfriend. Yeah, I look just like Liv Tyler, she thought._

_Bella looked in the mirror, considering her makeup. She just couldn't deal with pointy ears so she put on the cloak, tiara and jewelry, then went down to the living room, and turned on the porch light._

At 8:00, a knock on the door startled her. She hadn't heard anyone come onto the porch. When she opened the door, she found a handsome Confederate soldier on her front porch.

"Lady, you look lovely," he said with a bow.

"Thank you. So do you. I mean, you look handsome." Finally she blurted out, "My name is Bella. What's yours?"

"Major Jasper Whitlock, at your service."

He put out his arm, and she walked down the steps. Bella thought that his costume must have taken some work. He had the full uniform, including a hat and sword.

He led her to a black Mercedes and opened the passenger side door.

"Wow," she said.

"Not a steed, but I hope it meets with your approval, my queen."

Once she was seated, he closed the door and got into the other side. They drove into the night, the car just gliding along the road. Quite a contrast to the bumpy ride in Bella's beloved beast of a truck.

A short distance out of town, he pulled off of the main road and pulled in front of a large farmhouse. The wraparound porch was lined with pumpkins that also cascaded down the steps. All the carved pumpkins had been done artistically, with a variety of faces, ranging from scowls to grins. Bella's own jack-o-lantern had triangles for the eyes and a hole for the mouth. Anything else meant risking death by knife.

As she walked in, she heard the strains of old-fashioned music. She glanced up at Jasper.

"My mother prefers Cole Porter," he replied. "My father favors classical music and opera."

A woman wearing an elaborate carnival mask and ball gown stepped into view. The gold ball gown stretched around her womanly curves, enhancing them in an old-fashioned way, like a movie star from the 1940's.

Her companion looked regal, dressed like prince from an old master oil painting.

"May I introduce my mother, Esme Cullen, and my father, Carlisle Cullen," Jasper said. The woman dipped her head and the man bowed.

"Pleased to meet you," Bella said to each.

"Enchanted," said the man, Carlisle, extending his hand.

"A pleasure," said the woman, Esme.

She heard a rustling noise behind her, like the sound of material against wood, and turned her head.

An enormous bear—_No, that's got to be a man in a bear costume, but it looks so real_—leaned out from the doorway. "Rawr!"

"And this is my brother, Emmett," Jasper said. "Who, if he doesn't turn it down a notch, I may have to hunt. Shorten the leash, Rose."

A statuesque blonde walked around the bear, and Bella noticed she had a small decorative chain in her hand which connected to a collar.

"Sorry if he frightened you," she said.

"It's OK. Everybody's entitled to one good fright on Halloween, right?" Bella said, trying to recover gracefully.

"Exactly," said Esme. "And that was your one prank for the night, Emmett. Bella is Jasper's guest."

The bear made a gesture that looked like a shrug, and Bella giggled.

All of the Cullen's eyes snapped in her direction at the sound. Esme looked relieved.

"Well, come in," Esme said, showing Bella and Jasper into a living room. Bella suppressed a gasp. The room was beautiful, and looked like it should be featured on a page of Architectural Digest instead of belonging to house outside of Forks, Washington. Exquisite rugs and antique furniture filled the room, which had been adorned with seasonal décor. Some fall boughs and swag ornamented the windows and mantle, with Halloween décor interspersed between the foliage. Bella wanted to walk around, just exploring and touching each little figurine peeking out from between the greenery.

There was a table with cider, fruit and Halloween cookies. Jasper poured them both a cup and handed one to Esme.

"My sister and mother go all out on these events," he said as Bella sipped the cider.

"When are the other guests arriving?" she asked.

"It's just a family thing," Jasper replied. "But my mother wanted you to join us."

"She did?" Bella asked.

"She was very specific on that point," he said.

Bella turned to see how Esme would react to this statement, and saw that they were alone in the room. The others had quietly slipped out while she was tasting her cider. Jasper set her tumbler down, put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, as if to dance.

She pushed back and he looked puzzled.

"I can't dance," she admitted. "I have enough trouble just walking without falling on my face."

He smiled. "Then let me guide you. Just close your eyes and feel."

She took a deep breath and picked up an incredible smell. Was that his aftershave? But all thoughts of aftershave flew out of her head when he pulled her close. He moved quietly and confidently, and she relaxed, trying to match his motion.

He tightened his grip around her waist so that her face lay against his chest. She took another breath. That scent was him.

After a few minutes, there was a bang from the next room.

She pulled up and looked back.

Jasper looked annoyed. "Emmett just knocked over a dresser."

"Dresser?"

Jasper looked at her and gave a quick smile. "He's very strong and likes to horse around. Let's go upstairs."

She followed him up the stairs, up two flights. They walked down a hall where he opened a door and stood aside, allowing her to enter.

She peeked inside. The room was full of cases with weapons, maps, and uniforms. They appeared to date from the Civil War.

She went in. "Are these from the Civil War?"

"Texas Cavalry. I'm from Texas, so I've done a bit of collecting," he said.

She walked from case to case, finally coming to a large four-poster bed that was covered with a cream colored bedspread.

She turned around and he was right behind her. She gulped and asked, "Which is your favorite piece?"

He turned and looked around, considering. Finally he walked over to a set of spurs and hat. The hat was worn and looked as though it might have been wet at one point.

"We think these spurs and hat belonged to a member of the family from the 1860's, one Major Whitlock. It's hard to be sure of the provenance, as he vanished and his body was believed to have been swept away by the river. However, when his friends looked for him, they found the hat. They returned it to his sister, and eventually I acquired it."

He had such a far-away look in his eyes that made her feel as though she was intruding. Then he turned back to her. The way his eyes focused on her made her knees go weak.

He closed the distance between them and put his hands on her waist.

"Let's try dancing again," he said. She snuggled against his chest and he swayed gently. "Close your eyes," he whispered, and she did. She felt the back of her knees bump against something, and she was sure it was the bed. He pushed her gently down on to it, leaning over her. When he leaned forward, she slowly sank back, so that he nearly lay on top of her, leaning on his elbows.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," she said back. He touched her lips with his. She was startled that they were hard and cold, but decided she would see what she needed to do to warm them up. He blew across her face, and she drank in his sweet breath.

He began nuzzling down her neck, shifting her under him until they lay side-by-side on the bed.

"Close your eyes," he whispered.

She did, reluctantly, wanting to stare at him, the planes on his face, his blond hair.

She heard another "bam" from downstairs and started to giggle, and that's when she felt the bite.

Xxx

Another story! Thanks for reading.

Please leave a review. I will send a preview of the next story to all reviewers.

Hope you're having a fabulous October.


	5. Dark & Stormy Night - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

WARNING - This story features the Cullens acting like traditional vampires.

Dark and Stormy Night – Chapter 1

It was a dark and stormy night. Perfect for Halloween. Not so perfect for a last minute drive back from Port Angeles along the 101. How could she have not realized she didn't have Charlie's favorite candy bar? And why did it matter so much that she would drive to the nearest big city because the tiny town of Forks' candy supply had been depleted of Mars bars in the fun size?

Bella craned forward in her seat, pulling against the seatbelt, as if getting closer to the windshield would allow her to see better. The windshield wipers were no match for the relentless sheets of rain. Usually the drizzle just came and went. If you drove for a few minutes, you passed through it. But this cloud seemed to hang over the entire region.

There was a small amount of mist on the glass, so she used her wrist to clear the condensation off. She slowed to 10 mph, not that she had been doing much above that anyway.

To top it off, she had left her cell phone at Angela's after school. Wrong night for that.

Not too much further…she had seen the mile markers for Forks and knew she would be nearing the bridge soon. She hadn't reached the turnoff for the 110 yet. That should be soon.

Bam. She felt an impact then listened and felt the "flub flub flub" of driving on a deflating tire. The car shuddered to a stop, and her heart lurched in time with the car.

What now?

On the bright side, she probably wasn't so far she couldn't walk the rest of the way.

But still.

It was Halloween. She was supposed to be home. Forks kids wouldn't be deterred by the rain. They would show up. She needed to be there, with the porch light on, jack-o-lantern lit, candy at the ready.

She opened the door and stepped out into the rain.

For just a moment, she thought she saw eyes blinking on the edge of the road. Then they were gone. Must have been a deer or elk. An entire herd of elk camped out on the edge of town across from the Chamber of Commerce during hunting season. There were often over thirty of them. How they figured out they would safe there, no one knew.

Maybe one had strayed.

She knelt to look at the tire. It was very flat. She wondered what could have done that. She looked ahead. How far to the edge of the city? Nothing but trees along here. Trees and bends in the road. However dark the rain made it, the wind through the trees added additional levels of creepy to the roadside scene.

She shivered. Maybe she should just get back into the car and wait with the emergency lights flashing.

Hold on. The emergency lights didn't work. She was going to get them fixed soon. That had been on the top of her To-Do list.

Not smart. Combined with her missing cell phone and trip to get Charlie's Mars bars, that made three not-smarts in a single day.

She stood up and realized she was completely soaked. She saw something gliding toward her through the rain. It was a car with those headlights that looked like slanted eyes. She shivered. The car-beast slid to a stop on the opposite side of the road.

It sat for a moment, and no one inside moved.

Why don't they open a window? Oh wait, they want me to walk up to the car so they don't get splashed.

She slopped across the highway and approached the driver's side of the car. Even in the dark and rain, she could see it was an expensive model.

The window rolled down and a gorgeous face looked out.

"Hi," she breathed before taking in the face. Copper red hair, and half-bored, half-something else look on the face. "Flat tire," she said, gesturing with her thumb to the other side of the road.

Handsome flicked his eyes back inside the car and as she peeked inside, she saw another passenger. He filled his half of the front seat with his bulk. He was good-looking too, but staring a little too intently at her.

On the other hand, he looked big enough to lift her car to replace the tire without a jack.

"Can you give me a lift to Forks?" she asked, shivering.

"Bridge trouble ahead," the driver said. "We just came from there. We're going around. We can take you with us."

Was there another way around?

She hesitated, but he reached back and opened the back door for her, and she decided to accept the ride. She realized that stretch should have been hard for him to do, but he had managed. Double or triple jointed perhaps.

She got in the backseat. "If you would just turn around and head toward the bridge, I can walk across. They know me there…"

Instead of turning back toward the bridge, the driver stepped on the gas and zoomed forward as soon as she finished closing the door. Bella's heart raced. _Jerks. Won't take driving directions from a woman._ "Like I said. They know me there," Bella repeated, a little more firmly. "I'm the sheriff's daughter."

The two men exchanged glances. "We'll take good care of you," the larger one said.

With a screech, he pulled off of the paved road into the woods. The sudden turn onto a dirt road made even the expensive car's ride bumpy and sent Bella's heart into her throat. _They were going to drive this expensive car into the woods?_ She was getting scared.

"Um, where are we going?" she finally asked.

She could see the driver smirk in the rear view mirror. He cut his eyes back to her, but then looked ahead. The big guy turned in his seat and "Do you like scary stories? Because you're in one."

Though her stomach clenched with fear at his words, Bella felt for the pepper spray Charlie always insisted she keep in her purse. She would wait until the car slowed then jump out.

Xx

(And how does everyone think jumping out of the car would go? Yeah, no.)

Thank you for reading my Halloween story. Hope you're ready for a bumpy ride, because this is a scary one.

Please leave a review. I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.

Enjoy your October!


	6. Dark & Stormy Night - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

WARNING - This story features the Cullens acting like traditional vampires.

Dark and Stormy Night. – Chapter 2

_She could see the driver smirk in the rear view mirror. He cut his eyes back to her but then looked ahead. The big guy turned in his seat, and "Do you like scary stories? Because you're in one."_

_Though her stomach clenched with fear at his words, Bella felt for the pepper spray Charlie always insisted she keep in her purse. She would wait until the car slowed then jump out._

That moment came quickly. The driver slowed, and Bella reached for the door with one hand, holding the pepper spray with the other.

But in a flash, she was alone in the car. The two men had vanished from the front seat, in a motion so quick she only heard the car door close behind them. They had left the headlights on, but the lights only shone a short distance in the dense trees.

She decided to stay in the car for a few minutes. The rain had slowed, with only a faint drizzle falling on the windshield. The car was in a small clearing. There was the usual mix of fallen logs and upright mature trees around the car. As she waited to catch her breath, she looked into the area illuminated by the headlights for any signs of the two guys.

Nothing. Probably hiding behind the trees, waiting to jump out.

She resisted the temptation to turn on the interior light as that would make the world outside the car go black. She didn't want to make it any easier for those two jerks to sneak up on the car.

This had to be some kind of a Halloween prank. When she reached Charlie, she would make sure they knew it wasn't funny. Maybe they were doing this because she was Charlie's daughter. The thought gave her a spike of fear, thinking they might be trying to even a score, but then, they would know he was in law enforcement. They would have to know they couldn't take things too far.

Bella leaned over the front seat and checked for the keys. Not in the ignition. She pushed the button to lock all car doors, then sat back and waited.

There was the faint sound of rain on the roof. Ordinarily, she might have found this relaxing, but not tonight. It would only serve to obscure the sound of anyone sneaking back up to the car.

After listening to the patter of rain on the roof, a sudden thump made her jump. A hand slid down the window, dangling the automated car key, the clicker bumping up against an assortment of other metal keys. She heard the sound of the beep as the button was pushed.

The door unlocked and she threw her hand over the lock button. Then it locked again.

It was silent for a second, then whoever was on the roof began to rock the car back and forth. She gritted her teeth and hung onto the seat in front of her.

This was taking the joke too far.

"Cut it out," she said. "Joke's over. This isn't funny."

She heard a laugh. "Come out and play with us," a male voice sang out in a soft falsetto.

"We'll have so much fun," said a much deeper voice.

Bella huddled in the middle of the backseat, keeping her arms from the doors. There was the sound of a click and before she could register the motion, the guy who had been driving was sitting in the front seat, peering around and grinning at her.

"Gonna stay back there?" he leered.

The back door opened and the huge guy slid in next to her. "We'll keep you company," he said as he put his hand on her knee.

"Don't touch me," Bella yelled, anger momentarily pushing back fear. She pushed at his hand, which felt cold and rock hard. Not like flesh at all. He responded by gripping her knee and slowly sliding it up her thigh, caressing it slightly. She opened the door and jumped out, running into the dark forest.

"And now the fun can begin," said one of them. She heard the car doors close behind her.

She turned around, her back against a tree, and saw the car was empty. Neither of the guys were standing next to it. The headlights were now off, but a flare lay in the middle of the clearing at the edge of the small road they had driven in on. It shed some light into the area, but mostly pointed up the shadows that danced in the flickering light.

"Looking for me?" came a voice across the small clearing. The tall redhead was standing there. "Where you gonna go?" To her horror, he pulled up a small sapling with one hand and threw it into the middle of the clearing.

A soft thump sounded next to her and the big guy was standing next to her. "And how you gonna get there without me being there first?" He looked up and her eyes rose involuntary. There was the dark shadow of a branch overhead, barely visible. It had to be twenty feet over their heads. How had he gotten there?

She started to walk around the tree, keeping her back to it but moving away from him. When she was on the other side, she started toward another tree.

"Boo," said the big guy, peeking out from behind it.

Wait, hadn't she just left him at the other tree? Her head spun—she was so confused.

She stumbled into the darkness, unable to see, feeling her way. She tripped but before she could hit the ground, someone grabbed her at the waist and stood her upright.

"No hitting the ground too early. That's no fun," said a voice from the dark.

Tears stung her eyes as she gasped for breath. She stood still, trying to tell where they were as the flare from the clearing died.

"A little light, maybe?"

Another flare appeared on a nurse log in front of her, between the two trees growing from it. It struck her how grisly-looking the trees were, their roots encircling the slowly decaying log beneath them, feeding from it like parasites.

A light shone behind her. The car's headlights were back on. She stood between the flare and the headlights, darkness in between them and all around.

Go forward or back?

A hiss sounded next to her. She fingered the pepper spray. It didn't seem enough against these two. She had heard that drugs like PCP could give unnatural strength to drug addicts. But then again, they had brought her to this spot. Maybe the sapling the one guy threw had been a prop.

It didn't mean they weren't going to hurt her though.

She felt a hard body behind her and screamed. It was the big guy, and he had just appeared, directly behind her. She jumped forward and he laughed.

"That got a reaction." He laughed.

She stumbled forward, back toward the car. She felt herself slip and grabbed for a tree.

The trunk scratched her hand and she pulled it back, looking at the blood starting to ooze from a cut in her palm.

"Now we're talking," came a voice behind her. She put her back to the tree. The two men were directly in front of her, their eyes focused on her hand.

"I think it needs to be stitched. You guys need to get me to a doctor, now," she said in a voice that she hoped would be stronger.

The big guy looked like he was licking his lips.

"We said we'd wait for him," the tall one growled.

"Yeah, well I'm ready now," the big guy said with a chuckle.

Bella got her pepper spray ready in her uninjured hand. Would it be enough for both of them? Before she had a chance to find out, she heard a sound like a roar from the forest. Had they attracted a bear?

Xx

Thank you for reading my Halloween story. Hope you're ready for a bumpy ride, because this is a scary one.

And I have enough stories/chapters to switch to three postings per week from now to Halloween!

Please leave a review. I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.

Enjoy your October!


	7. Dark & Stormy Night - Chapter 3

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

WARNING - This story features the Cullens acting like traditional vampires.

Dark and Stormy Night. – Chapter 3

_We said we'd wait for him," the tall one growled._

"_Yeah, well I'm ready now," the big guy said with a chuckle._

_Bell_a got her pepper spray ready in her other hand. Would it be enough for both of them? Before she had a chance to find out, she heard a sound like a roar from the forest. Had they attracted a bear?

Suddenly she was smashed back against the tree by someone she didn't see coming. She was so startled she dropped her pepper spray. The newcomer had his back to her, one hand gripping her wrist, holding her in place behind him. She realized he was the one making that growling sound. But could that noise really be coming from a man? She put one hand out and touched his back, feeling it rumble under her hand.

The growl increased. Yep, it was definitely coming from him.

"Hey, man," the big guy said, "we waited. Sheriff's daughter, you know?"

"Stay back, Emmett," said the redhead. "We need to get out of here, now."

_Emmett. His name was Emmett. I'm going to get out of this and report his ass._

"Why? Share and share alike," Emmett said, sounding puzzled.

With a roar, the newcomer released Bella and charged Emmett, leaving her so suddenly that she staggered forward.

Once she regained her balance, Bella turned and ran for the car. Behind her, she heard a crash, like two stones being crashed together . She didn't pause to look back as she was almost to the car.

Just as she reached the car, two shadowy figures appeared in front of it. Women. What were they doing here? Would they help her?

One had short black hair, and the other had brown hair that was nearly caramel in color. The brunette gave her a friendly smile and waved her closer. "Are you OK?" she asked.

The one with the short black hair said, "Esme, stay away."

In a flash, the blond man reappeared from the darkness, shoved Bella back from the car, and grabbed the brunette by her neck. He lifted the woman so high that her feet dangled in the air.

"She wasn't going to hurt her," the black-haired woman said. "Carlisle will be furious if you tear off her head again. Put her down! Look, she's OK, see?" she continued, gesturing toward Bella.

The man turned toward Bella, still clutching the brunette by the throat. As he gazed at Bella, his expression softened from rage to something else. But whatever it was, at least it didn't look terrifying like the other two.

He stepped toward her, releasing the brunette, who fell to the ground then touched her throat, stroking it as if to feel if it was OK.

"Bella, right? Is that your name?" said the black-haired girl.

"Yes," she said. "I'm Bella Swan, Charlie Swan's daughter. My Dad's the Sheriff of Forks."

"How nice for you both," the black-haired girl replied. "Bella, this is Jasper. Jasper, say hi."

Jasper didn't say anything. He just stared at her, hungrily. Hungry for something, Bella couldn't tell what.

But now she had a name. She knew from Charlie that the police used names when dealing with suspects. It was supposed to calm them down. And if the victim had a name, it was supposed to make it harder for people to hurt them.

Before she could try talking to him, a second blond man appeared. _What was with all these people out here in the woods tonight?_

The newcomer crouched in front of the brunette who was still sitting on the ground, his arms spread open in a u-shape in front of him, hands and fingers tensed, and the expression on his face feral.

"Carlisle, it appears Jasper has found her," said the girl with the spiky black hair.

The blond stared at Bella and Jasper. Recognition of some kind flashed behind his eyes, and he relaxed and nodded. He half turned, pulling the brunette into his arms, sniffing at her hair, then sniffing his way down her neck, turning the woman in his arms so that he could still see Jasper.

Weird and creepy, thought Bella, but if they are concerned with one another, it's another minute I have to think.

"But you should check on Emmett," the spiky haired girl continued.

The man appeared to have finished his exam, so he and the two women slipped around Jasper, giving him a wide berth, leaving Bella alone with him.

Jasper now stood directly in front of Bella. Seeing him now in the car headlights, she could see that he was exceptionally handsome, tall and lean, with a shaggy mane of blond hair. He reached forward, touching her cheek. For some reason, she didn't feel afraid. He leaned down and took her injured hand in his. Jasper turned it over, examining the blood on it. He lifted it to his lips and slowly, luxuriously licked it, then turned it back to her. The blood was gone, and the cut seemed to have turned to a white line.

"What? How?" she asked.

He just smiled and pulled her closer. She looked up and saw his eyes were red. _Must be a trick of the light_. She could feel the hard length of his body up against hers, and the hard length of something else pressed against her stomach. She gasped and pushed back slightly.

He touched her lips with his fingers then stroked her eyes and hair as he pulled her back against him.

He looked down at her and murmured a single word: "Mine."

She felt hypnotized by those eyes as they came closer and closer. "Yours," she whispered back.

He tilted her head back and sniffed his way down her neck. She wasn't really surprised when she felt the sharp bite and felt him begin to pull at her blood.

Somehow, it felt right. Somehow, and then things started to fade. She felt dizzy and her knees felt weak. As she started to fall, he kept her upright by pulling her body tightly against his. "Mine," she heard him say again as she started to slip away. She felt her body being shifted and a sharp pain at one wrist and then the other. "Yours," she responded again, but she was so weak she wasn't sure whether he heard her.

Then a small prickling began in her neck and wrists, a prickle that turned into a blaze that quickly began to consume her. Even as she writhed in pain, she realized it was burning away her humanity, and she could only wonder what it was transforming her into.

Something like him, she hoped.

THE END.

So this was a scary one! And Jasper barely speaks…

Hope you're enjoying the stories so far and having a great October.

Please leave a review, and I'll send a preview of the next story, Cookie Jar, to all reviewers.

Just two stories left, and then Jasper's POV of the final story.

Wore my Team Jasper t-shirt today! (Hooray for Café Press.)


	8. Cookie Jar - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Protective Jasper, bad $$ Emmett)

Cookie Jar

The cookie jar, shaped like a haunted house, was in the middle of the end cap Halloween display at Forks Outfitters. It summed up Halloween: so cheesy, yet so cute while still being a little scary. It was in the shape of a haunted house, with broken blue-white windows, eyes peeking out from behind both broken and unbroken panes, and the bare branches of a tree snaking up one side of the house.

Bella paused her cart in front of the display, smiling at the kitschy cookie jars. She picked one up and lifted the lid, which was the roof including a chimney. The cheap ceramic grated as she pulled it from the base before it opened. She looked inside, staring into the empty white ceramic interior. As she started to put it back on the shelf, she was jostled by a passing shopping cart.

The cookie jar fell from her hands and struck the floor, shattering into approximately fifty thousand pieces.

"Drat," said Bella, dropping to the floor to pick up the mess. She took a second to compose herself so she wouldn't glare as she looked up at the shopping cart that had caused the accident.

Whatever she was going to say next flew out of her head. Driving that cart was the best-looking guy she had ever seen. The blond was leaning over the handle of a basket full of beer, ice, chips and dip. As she stared at him, she saw someone turn and drop a whole ham into that cart. It hit the bottom of the cart with a thud, rattling the rickety basket and crushing some of the potato chips. She looked over and saw a huge man with an impish grin, who looked as if he could have inhaled that ham then wondered what was for dessert.

"I'm sorry," the blond guy said. He let go of the cart, leaned over and started picking up the pieces.

Bella had to take a deep breath. This guy was man candy. Lean but muscled, his now arms visible as he had pushed up the sleeves of his sweatshirt. A lock of blond hair tumbled over his forehead. Too bad his eyes were hidden behind a pair of Aviators.

"It's my fault, I'm just clumsy," she said, even though it had been his fault.

She crouched down to help him clean up the mess. Of course, the next visit from her clumsy fairy occurred immediately, and she cut her finger on a shard.

"Ow," she exclaimed and winced as blood spread along the slit in her skin**. **To prevent blood from dripping on the floor, she stuck her finger in her mouth, suppressing an automatic gag at both the taste and smell of the hateful stuff.

She thought she heard a growl, and when she looked up, she saw the blond man standing in front of his friend, struggling with him. It looked like he was holding him back, as he had pinned his arms to his sides.

_What the heck?_

"He left his wallet in the car," the first guy said. "We'll be right back."

They exited through the slats covering the doors of the butcher section, leaving the plastic waving in their wake, the only signs other than the abandoned cart that they had ever been there.

Was there a movie company in the area, shooting a film? She couldn't think of any other reason two such gorgeous men would be in the tiny town of Forks. Wait—two gorgeous men, together. Were they gay? Her heart fell. _Not that I would have had a chance with him. _

Were they employees or deliverymen?

She stood looking at the beer and other party supplies in their cart, hoping they would come back, when the store's assistant manager appeared with a broom and dustpan**. She knew Mrs. Michaels well, as she had worked in the store a few times during the holiday rush.**

"I'm sorry, I'll pay for this," said Bella.

"No, they bumped you, I saw it," Mrs. Michaels said. "Do you know them? Are they from around here? I don't think I've seen them before."

The two strangers appeared to have made an impression on other women too.

"You're hurt?" asked Mrs. Michaels, suddenly noticing Bella's cut. "I'll get the First Aid kit."

"Just a paper cut, I mean cookie jar cut." Bella laughed, even though the smell of the blood was making her nauseous. She kept Band-Aids in her purse, so she pulled one out and put it on. "I think I'll just get going."

_Maybe the fresh air will help clear away the nausea._

She took the long way toward the front of the store, passing down a few extra aisles, keeping the butcher area and the abandoned cart in view as long as she could. Finally, she walked into the early evening, where rain had started to fall. As she crossed the lot, both the wind and rain picked up. Sheets of water came blasting through the lot, soaking her instantly. She shivered as she slogged through the wet parking lot, wondering if the two guys would come back for their beer.

The parking lot was surprisingly full. It was always full, no matter the hour. There often seemed to be more shoppers here than there were regular citizens of the town. People came from the neighboring towns and the reservation. The store on the rez was kind of limited in its supplies.

Just as she got to her truck, she saw a familiar figure. Jacob, her father's friend's son. Two years younger than she was, he had been carrying a torch for her for some time.

"Jacob?" she said then stopped. He looked taller. Much taller. He loomed over the SUVs that were scattered throughout the lot.

"Bella," he said. "Go home."

"What? What's wrong?" she asked. "If there's trouble, we'll call my Dad. And by the way, you can't talk to me like that!"

"Your Dad, wonderful as he is," Jacob said in an agonized tone, "can't help with this." He looked around the parking lot warily. "I need to get these people out of here. They're all in danger."

Something about the way he looked and spoke convinced Bella that Jacob believed what he was saying.

"Jake? What's going on?" she asked again, leaning forward to touch him on the arm.

"They're here," he replied. "All these people are in danger."

"Who's here?" she asked.

Just then the two men from the store came out around an SUV. They froze at the sight of Jacob, and then the blond one stepped forward.

Jacob started to shake. "You want to do this here, with all these people?" Jacob asked. "I won't let you have her."

Xx

It's those dang Halloween decorations that they sell everywhere! They're just so hard to resist, and if you break down and buy them, where can you store them until next year? Only so much room under the bed or in the closet, right?

Next chapter will be up in a few days.

Please leave a review, and I'll send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.

Thanks for all the support you've shown for these little stories this year.


	9. Cookie Jar - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Protective Jasper, bad $$ Emmett)

Cookie Jar – Chapter 2

_Just then the two men from the store came out around an SUV. They froze at the sight of Jacob, and then the blond one stepped forward._

_Jacob started to shake. "You want to do this here, with all these people?" Jacob asked. "I won't let you have her."_

"Friend, I don't know what you think is going on, but I think you should step away from the lady," the blond said. "Come here, darling."

Bella felt an odd sense of peace flowing over her, brushing back the worry she felt at Jacob's odd behavior. She started toward the stranger but stopped short when Jacob grabbed her arm. His grip was so tight she yelped in pain. She heard a snap and realized it was her arm.

Jacob immediately let go of her, looking at her with a horrified expression. "Bella, I'm so sorry…"

Whatever he was going to say was lost because the blond came between them, putting his arm around Bella, and the big man grabbed Jacob, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Don't move," the big man growled at Jacob.

"I'll take her to the doctor," the blond stranger said. "Don't let him follow."

Jacob was shaking and bending over as the blond picked her up and sprinted away with a speed that was frightening. "Just close your eyes," he told her. "I'm going to take you somewhere safe."

She heard a roar and howl behind her, as if a bear and a wolf were fighting in the parking lot. She turned her head to look back, but the stranger pulled her closer to his chest and tucked her face into his shirt. "Better you don't look," he said softly.

"What's going on with my friend, Jake?" she asked.

"Almost there," he said. "I need someone to look at your arm." As if in response to his comment, her arm started throbbing with pain.

She clutched it closer and looked up from his chest. There was a flash of trees above, as if they were moving at an impossible speed. She gagged as she felt a rush of motion sickness so she closed her eyes, hoping the nausea would stop. The sounds of the two animals quickly faded, though she thought she heard an answering wolf's howl from somewhere in the forest.

She sensed the man had slowed and heard the sound of footsteps on wood, so she opened her eyes. The blond man was standing on the porch of a house. It was dark, no lights. As he opened the door, she heard a voice and someone next to them flicked a light switch.

He set Bella down, keeping one arm around her waist to support her. _I really need to know his name_. Another blond man, whose face conveyed a gentle and confident expression, stood next to them, holding a black medical bag.

"I'm Dr. Cullen, Miss. What happened to your arm?" he asked.

"An accident," Bella replied, trying to get control of the situation. "My friend was trying to protect me, but something happened."

She paused as the doctor's eyes focused on the stranger who had brought her here.

"My son says it happened in a parking lot. Who was your friend?"

"A Quileute from down on the rez," Bella answered. "I've known him forever. He and my Dad are fishing buddies."

She felt a strange rumble coming from the chest of the man next to her. Was he growling?

The doctor stiffened then relaxed. "I see. Let's go up to my office so I can examine your arm."

Bella was surprised at how easily she was giving out this information. She didn't know these people, yet she trusted them. Trusted both of them.

Glancing around, she saw they were standing in the entry of a large room. Only the hallway light was on, so most of the room was in shrouded in darkness, but she could see ghostly shadows of sofas and chairs behind them.

But they didn't go into the living room. Instead, they walked up a staircase, carpeted but without a balustrade. She noticed a large, wooden cross hanging on the landing.

The doctor motioned her into a room on the second floor. It looked like a study, as the walls were lined with bookshelves and art. He took her arm gently, but she winced as he touched her. He regarded her coolly as he examined the ugly bruise that was rapidly staining the middle of her arm. "It appears broken. It's a simple fracture, so I should be able to set it quickly. Take a deep breath."

She inhaled automatically, and before she could process what was happening he had grabbed and straightened her arm. She screamed and tears gathered in her eyes, but it was over quickly, and the doctor patted her hand reassuringly while the blond man stroked her back.

"Let me give you something for the pain then I'll wrap it." He was already sticking a needle in her arm.

"Wait. What is that?" _Isn't he supposed to get my Dad's permission or something?_

"We need to move," the blond man said.

The doctor nodded just as a beautiful woman appeared beside him.

"This is my wife, Esme," the doctor said, introducing the lady as he dropped the used needle into the trash. "Esme, this is Bella."

Seeing a woman made Bella feel a bit more reassured at the speed this was all happening at. _Wait. How did he know my name? I still don't know the name of the guy who brought me here._

"We're not going to be able to stay this time," the doctor told Esme.

Esme looked disappointed but kept a smile on her face as she looked at Bella. "There will always be a future time," she said. "I'll get ready."

Bella began to feel groggy. The pain in her arm was subsiding, but she was starting to fall asleep. "I need to call my Dad," she said.

"Don't worry about that now," said the blond man.

"Whatz yer name?" she asked him, as her lips started to get too thick to speak. _What was in that shot?_

"My name is Jasper, my lovely mate," Jasper said quietly. "I've been waiting for you for a very long time."

She felt him pick her up and carry her. She didn't care where; she sensed that she belonged in those arms. She was overcome with a feeling of love and longing, tinged with a bit regret.

She heard voices drifting in and out around her, and then finally slipped away.

When Bella woke up, she could feel movement. She still felt groggy, and her body felt heavy. It was too much trouble to open her eyelids. But she could smell something amazing, like cinnamon, honey, and soft leather. Though groggy, she sensed she was in a car, with her face tucked into someone's chest. She felt someone stroking her hair.

She struggled to open her eyes. When she did, she saw a pair of golden eyes staring down at her. Jasper. She formed the name on her lips then sat up. "Where are we?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.

Jasper twisted the cap off of a bottle of water and handed it to her before answering. She took the water and emptied half the bottle. Thirsty.

"Where are we?" she repeated as she looked out the window. "This doesn't look like Forks."

"We're in Alaska, on our way to see some friends in Denali Park. It's beautiful here, you'll love it."

"Hey, remember me?" asked a voice from behind her.

Bella turned to see the big man with the impish grin. She nodded.

"I'm Emmett," he replied. "Brought you some flowers. Don't drop them."

Emmett handed a bunch of orange and yellow mums in the haunted house cookie jar over the car seat. Jasper took them and held them so Bella could see them. She touched the flowers, feeling their soft springiness under her fingers. Orange and black for Halloween. _Still so groggy. What day is it? Alaska?_

"Got the lid right here," Emmett continued. "Thought you lovebirds should have a memento of the night you two met."

Xx

October is passing too quickly this year!

Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'll send a preview of the next story to all reviewers.

Next up is the last story…but following that, a Jasper POV of that story.


	10. Band Practice - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice 

Chapter 1 – High School Hell

Bella picked up the guitar and then sighed.

Who was she kidding? She was too clumsy to play it. Before she had a chance to put it back, Jessica marched in to the music room. Bella closed her eyes. _Wait for it._

Jessica didn't disappoint. "That's not yours, you know. Not supposed to touch it." She grabbed the instrument from Bella.

Bella's interest in the guitar made her a double loser. First, she couldn't play guitar, and second, tonight was the school dance, and she didn't have a date. The student council had decided to move up the winter dance to Halloween after the Spartans had lost, badly, at Homecoming. Now they were putting on a band night to promote the dance. Groups were coming in from all over the area.

Bella left the small music room, letting the door close behind her, leaving Jessica to fuss over the instruments. Jessica, of course, was dating a guitarist for the event. He was in one of the bands performing tonight and was rumored to have a recording contract in the works. Jessica had made sure everyone knew, except for her mother.

Bella looked out the front door of Forks High School, across a vacant lot, up the street to—another vacant lot and then some houses. Behind that was the hospital. Everything in Forks was close because the town was so small. You could walk from one end to the other, and that's what lots of kids did on a daily basis. Even in the rain, because there wasn't much else to do.

She had to get out of here. Not only was the high school a trap, so was this tiny town. She felt she was suffocating in this place.

While she was staring out the door, a van pulled up. A black van with some custom work that looked classy. It kind of looked like her father's friend Pete's van, but she was sure he was down by the river in his fishing shack, passed out on another bender. This must belong to one of the guest bands. She turned away from the door and made the lonely walk down the hall to stop by her locker before heading home.

Just as she was closing her locker, she heard a courteous, "Excuse me, Miss?"

She turned to see a super-hot guy: tall, lanky, blond hair, carrying a guitar case. The shy smile he cast in her direction melted her heart. She started to go to him when she heard the sound of high heels tapping out a rhythm that heralded Jessica's arrival.

"Can I help you?" Jessica asked, twisting so the newcomer got the best view down her sequined halter top.

"She's with the band," muttered Bella.

Jessica shot her a look.

"I'm OK, Miss," said the stranger, giving her a nod and heading in Bella's direction.

Bella's heart beat faster as she watched him approach. She couldn't help but notice Jessica staring her way, her jaw nearly hitting the floor.

"How about you?" asked the blond stranger. He had paused when he was a few feet away from her and was leaning casually against one of the lockers. "Are you with the band?"

"No," Bella replied.

"My lucky night then," he said.

"Are you looking for the practice rooms?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

As she led him down the hall, she said, "I didn't think you would be able to hear me, all the way over there."

"I was listening," he said simply, smiling down at her.

She blushed and said, "Here we are," as they had reached the practice rooms.

When he opened the door, she turned to leave. He surprised her by reaching for her wrist.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I thought you wanted to warm up."

"I'm OK. I was just going to drop this off. We've got time before the show starts, right? Show me around?" He flashed a smile.

"Sure," she said. "Not that there's much to see."

"I've already found something fascinating," he said in a low voice.

Her heart raced. He couldn't mean it, but he was good-looking. Even if he was just passing through. Why not?

"OK, then," she said. "The school is new, but it's a site of major boredom. So let's go outside."

"After you," he said with a bow.

As they reached the front door, he opened it then held out his arm for her. She hesitated, not knowing what to do. So he slipped his arm around her waist and they walked out together.

They almost ran into Eric, who was leading his group in their band outfits: T-shirts and jeans, hair that had clearly been worked on to look casually cool. Eric was wearing eyeliner and glitter shadow, Bella noticed. He stared first at the stranger then his eyes flicked to Bella. She realized that all the guys were staring at her.

She just smiled. _You didn't want me before, so too bad._

They reached Forks Avenue and she turned toward the Forks Coffee Shop. Passing that, they went by the library and the rest of the shopping district and headed toward Tillicum Park. They stopped to look at the enormous locomotive that was at the front of the park.

Feeling awkward, Bella asked, "So, my name's Bella. What's yours?"

"Oh, sorry," the stranger said. "I'm Jasper."

"Where are you from?"

"Most recently, Alaska."

"Alaska?" Bella repeated. "Sounds exciting." _He's from somewhere else. Exciting, romantic places like Alaska. Wonder what kind of music they listen to in Alaska?_

"Lots of wildlife up there," he said. "Not a lot of people." Jasper paused, thinking. "I like it here."

Bella stayed silent.

"I'm guessing you don't," he said.

"It's small. You can walk from one end of town to the other. No jobs, nothing much to do."

They went into the park and sat on a bench, watching the light recede behind the tree line. Twilight. Jasper reached out and stroked her hair.

"It probably seems that way to you," he said. "But right now, it seems the most wonderful place in the world."

Looking into his eyes, she believed him. She wanted to believe him; she was ready to believe anything tonight. Next to him, she felt something magical could happen.

He leaned forward and touched his lips lightly to her cheek, then pulled her closer until their lips touched. She started, as his face felt cold and hard, like marble, then decided she would warm that up.

Xx

Last story! Almost Halloween! I'm going to put up a Jasper POV of this story after this. Hope you'll stick around for that.

Please leave a review. I'll send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.


	11. Band Practice - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice 

Chapter 2 – High School Heaven

_Looking into his eyes, she believed him. She wanted to believe him; she wanted to believe anything._

_He leaned forward and touched his lips lightly to her cheek, then pulled her closer until their lips touched. She started, as his face felt cold and hard, like marble, then decided she would warm that up. _

Her heart was pounding. She didn't think of herself as an easy score. She'd only met this guy minutes ago. But it just felt right. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Still hard and cold. What was wrong with him? Who cared? His fragrance was unreal and intoxicating. Hard to pin down. Like the smell of cinnamon, leather and sunshine.

They kissed, and he began to nuzzle his way down her neck, kissing every inch. She moaned.

His chest rumbled at the sound, and it almost felt like…wait, was he purring?

His arms slipped down her side, then caressed her hip briefly before coming to rest on her thigh.

That jerked her back to reality. It may have been dark out, but they were still sitting on a public bench. Anyone could see them. And probably everyone was watching, Bella couldn't help but think. Jasper pulled her closer and his intoxicating breath made her forget her misgivings.

They sat making out on the bench for what seemed like forever or maybe just a few minutes. Finally a car pulled up and she heard a few hoots and a "whoo." She pulled back. After all, she was the Chief of Police's daughter.

"Guess I got a little carried away," Jasper said. He stood up and held out his hand to her. When she tried to stand, her legs were so wobbly that she sat back down. He laughed and seated himself next to her, taking her hand.

"The feeling is mutual," he stated.

"But you stood up," she said.

He just grinned, leaned forward and touched her hair, finger-combing it a bit. The way he looked at her, he seemed so sincere. But how could he feel like that, having just met her?

"Guess we should be going back," she finally said.

"If you say so," he replied.

"Wait, it's a dance. I don't have a dress."

"Neither do I," he replied.

"Silly, you wouldn't wear a dress."

Then his face was serious. "What should I wear?"

"You're in the band. Isn't that what you're going to wear on stage? What you have on?"

"Right," he said absently.

"Well, let's go back," she said.

The walk back to the school only took about five minutes. The front was lit up, and the parking lot was filled with cars and laughing kids. Some wore formal attire, others must have been with the band and just had on jeans and hoodies. She could see the faint flickers of light from cigarettes and probably joints as they passed. At the front door, Jasper bought tickets. The ticket sellers cast looks at Bella's jeans and plaid shirt, but she just said she was with Jasper, and all questions stopped when the girls looked at Jasper.

When the couple reached the auditorium, Bella heard the slow sound of a ballad being played.

Jasper stopped. "Shall we?"

"I'm not dressed…" she began.

"I don't care,' he said, tugging her into the auditorium. Once inside, he pulled her close.

"I can't dance," she said.

"Just follow me," he whispered, his eyes looking down at her.

The singer was awful, but the song was a classic, Bob Seeger's "On the Road Again." They swayed to the music, and Bella realized she was dancing, despite herself. It was easy with him.

She closed her eyes_. Just live in the moment. He's in your arms now. Live for the moment, the music, the dance._

When the song was over, a fast song came on, and Jasper led her out.

As he headed toward a darkened hallway, she said, "The band room is over here." When he looked at her blankly, she continued, "Your guitar…"

"Later," he said, and pulled open the door of a classroom. Bella reached over to flick on the lights and he put his hand over hers, taking it in his and pulling her further into the room.

She leaned up to put her arms around those hard shoulders, and as he bent, she jumped up and fastened herself to him like a starfish, clinging and pulling him close. He seemed startled but pleased by her boldness and leaned down to kiss her.

For a while, the rest of the world ceased to exist.

Later, when they left the classroom, he picked up his guitar and started to walk past the auditorium, which was now dark and full of the raucous sounds of the local band. Cheers were going out for Eric's band.

But something was wrong. Jasper wasn't going in.

"Stage fright?" she asked.

"Can't play," he said.

"Wait, what?" she asked.

He tugged at her hair playfully as he put his other arm around her waist. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "Going to walk away because I'm not a future rock star?"

"You do look the part," she mumbled.

"Want to hear me sing?" he asked. "Let's stay together…."

She slapped at him playfully.

"I mean it," he said softly. "I want us to stay together. Forever."

Looking into his eyes, she believed it could be more than just tonight. As they went outside into the chilly, rainy evening, he walked up to a van, pulled open the back and climbed in. He held out his hand for her. She didn't hesitate. As soon as she was in, he pulled her down onto his lap.She leaned back against his chest. "That sounds great."

He nuzzled her neck, kissing her hair. "Does it? Would you?"

"Hold on," she said, pushing him back playfully. "If you can't play, why did you stop at the high school?"

"I was in the forest when I picked up your scent," he said. "I couldn't stay away. I saw you inside the school, and saw the signs for the bands. So I picked up this guitar."

The statement that he could smell her barely fazed her. He was cold and hard as stone. So he could smell her a ways away. Hardly the strangest thing about him. And for some reason, none of it bothered her.

"And the van?" she said.

"Borrowed. Short term loan," Jasper replied.

"Does the owner know?"

"Probably not," he said. "Answer my question. Would you?"

"Would I what?" she asked.

"Stay with me forever?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. The breath that furled across her face was sweet and intoxicating. He kissed her neck, his stony, cold lips tickling as they caressed.

"Yes," she moaned. "Yes."

"That's all I needed to know," he said. He gave a few taps to the front of the paneling, and the van started up. There must have been someone in the front seat.

She looked up at him, puzzled.

"My brother, Emmett," Jasper said. "He's driving us home."

That sounded good to Bella, so she relaxed into his arms, and she wasn't really surprised as his nuzzles on her neck suddenly turned to a sharp bite.

THE END

So, Happy Halloween everybody!

Ending this year on a sweet note! Leave me a note, let me know what you think! I've really appreciated all the support shown for my stories.

Next up – Jasper's POV of this story…

And I may have enough to post it over three or four days. So a li'l bit of Jasper for consecutive days…hmmm…


	12. Band Practice - Jasper - Chapter 1

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice (Jasper's POV) – Chapter 1

Another wearying day. At least Emmett and I are outside during the day because we're in a forest, and it's overcast. Not surprising, as when it's not raining in this area, it's usually threatening to rain. Lots of good gloomy cover. Perfect for hiding unwanted sparkles.

The forest itself, the Olympic National Park, is full of campers and hunters. The issue: these humans are competing with us for the same game.

I allow myself a little smile. Not a chance, not a competition.

The mortal hunters are so noisy, smelly, and slow. About the only time they win is when they stay still for a long time and catch a break with the wind.

Me, I can hunt. I would say whenever and whatever, but I can't say whatever. Because no matter how good it smells, I can't allow myself to follow the tantalizing scent of human blood.

It hasn't always been this way, but that sort of hunting was a long time ago. Back when I was Major Whitlock, a pawn for Maria in the Southern Wars.

Back then, not only did I hunt humans, I taught newborn vampires to kill. I built and rebuilt armies for Maria. Those who survived long enough were cannon fodder in her empire-building schemes. Some I killed shortly after they were turned, others I destroyed close to the end of their first year as they lost the qualities that made them worthwhile for Maria.

Forget those days. Now, it's all about going after second best. Or, in the case of deer and elk, third best. Because the only animals with any kind of zing to their blood are the big cats and bears, which are more rare than their prey. I'm usually on a steady diet of herbivores. The best I can say about the taste of the grass-munchers is that the blood is hot.

So today, I'm running along through the woods with Emmett. At least he's always happy, unlike Edward. Edward's been moping for almost one hundred years now. How Carlisle puts up with it I don't know. It's OK for the others when Edward sequesters himself in the room, but I don't get any respite from his dramatic melancholy unless he leaves the house completely. I may have my bad days, but I don't inflict them on others. Or I try not to.

Emmett, on the other hand, is generally upbeat. Really upbeat. That's good. I love happy.

We're loping along, occasionally breaking into sprints and engaging in impromptu games such as "who can jump the ravine without crashing to the bottom" that come up whenever two young bloods are out, all the while veering closer to a town, when it hits me.

An enticing scent, like a beacon, pulling me in. I turn fast in its direction and feel Emmett grab me.

"C'mon, man," Emmett says, pivoting and pinning me. "They're not worth it."

I stop for a second and shake my head. [Author intrusion—I pass out at the keyboard, thinking about that blond head shaking.]

"This is different," I tell him. "This is…she's the one."

"Oh. Singer," Emmett remarks with a grimace. "That's bad. There's a town over there, and if she's in it, you'll be seen. If we have to go, we'll go at night."

I stare at him.

"C'mon. I'm not saying we won't find your singer, just that we won't do it in broad daylight, man. We're talking survival, Volturi…all that shit."

I look down at my hands and they're trembling.

"I think this is different, Emmett," I say. "I feel something more."

I head out, sprinting off before he can react.

I hear him cursing and crashing into brush as he tries to catch up. Eventually I let him, and we run side-by-side.

At the edge of town we come across a fishing cabin. I can hear snores and smell alcohol wafting through the windows. What's more important for my purposes is that there is a van out front. I stop in front of it, reach inside and find the keys on top of the sun visor.

"They're out cold," I tell Emmett as I toss the keys from one hand to the other.

"From the smell around this place, they've been drinking for days," he comments, wrinkling his nose. "Dang, I didn't think it was possible to turn a human scent into a stench, but they've managed."

"We're going to drive the van into town," I tell him as I climb into the driver's seat.

"Looks new, it'll be missed," he says as he gets in on the other side.

That's one of the things I like about Emmett. He's both direct and loyal. He may not agree with what I'm doing, but he's going along.

"Only for a few hours," I tell him.

He nods.

We pull into town and I search for the scent. Finding it doesn't turn out to be a problem. It's everywhere, which means she's a local. It's so strong it's distracting me from being able to do a search. I just want to relish it and experience how exquisite it is. It has different notes, from being a few hours old to being a few days old.

I shake my head and focus. I have to find her. In a town this size, they probably go to bed early, assuming she isn't home already. If I'm to have any chance of locating her tonight, I need to start tracking.

"You OK, man?" Emmett asks.

"Just trying to get my head into the game. Been a while since I tracked, you know?"

He nods and punches his palm with his fist. We're already in the middle of town, surrounded by heartbeats and human scents. Even though we fed earlier, this won't be easy.

It doesn't take long before I determine the scent is strongest by the high school.

"Damn, not a kid, OK?" whispers Emmett.

"Not going to kill her, at least, not to feed. I'm just curious."

Because I am. The pull is so strong. I can't stand it when there is a shift in the wind and I'm stuck inside the auto. I want to get out and get on the pavement. I would be able to find it there.

I look around and see the signs for a Band Night. Band, huh? I flip down the sun visor and check my reflection in the mirror. With sunglasses and a guitar, I could walk into the school. No problem.

Xx

So, Jasper's POV! Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

I really appreciate all of the support I've received for the story this year. My thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited or alerted the story.

Please leave a review and I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.


	13. Band Practice - Jasper - Chapter 2

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice (Jasper's POV) – Chapter 2

_Because I am. The pull is so strong. I can't stand it when there is a shift in the wind and I'm stuck inside the auto. I want to get out and get on the pavement. I would be able to find it there._

_I look around and see the signs for a Band Night. Band, huh? I check the mirror. With sunglasses and a guitar, I could walk into the school. No problem._

"It's strongest over here," I tell Emmett. "I could go in and find her. I just need a guitar as a prop."

"You can't play for shit," Emmett replies.

"Don't plan to," I snap back at him, irritated.

"Good," Emmett replies calmly, refusing to take the bait.

I'm glad. One of us has to stay cool, and I know I won't be able to. A sudden vision of her with a boy hits me and I nearly crush the steering wheel.

"Watch it, man. We've got to drive that thing back, remember?" Emmett chides.

I nod. _Focus, Whitlock_. _You're looking for a place to pick up a guitar._

We drive around, looking for a pawn shop. Up the road, we find one. Money changes hands quickly, and I pick up a leather jacket to complete the look. We drive back to the school and I'm ready. Getting into the high school shouldn't be a problem. Carlisle is always putting us in high schools as part of his plan to blend in. I grin, thinking about how we have to beat the girls off. I've learned never to smile, as they always take it as a come-on.

_Don't smile._ But I'm only (formerly) human, and I can't help a grin now and then, just to watch the chaos that ensues. Female hormones smell great. I may not be able to taste or touch, but I can smell. The ladies like me, want me. If only they knew what I wanted back. And in this modern attire, it would be so easy.

In the old days, back when I was in the Civil War, there were layers of clothes to be removed. Now, there wouldn't be. And with my strength…well, it would make short work of any kind of material.

As the sun dips to the top of the pine trees, I realize I won't have to worry about any inconvenient sparkling. There is also plenty of cloud cover and even some crowd cover. I put on the shades and step out of the van. As soon as I do, I'm hit by a wall of that scent. It draws me, and the thirst that burns inside isn't just for blood. It's for blood and so much more.

Turning around, trying to get a sense of where she is, I get a good whiff which is cut off right after I hear a door close.

I spin around. That's when I see her. Brown hair and big soulful eyes—she's just inside the glass doors of the high school. I freeze and almost drop the guitar, suddenly insecure.

Why? She'll love me. They always do.

She sees me and her eyes widen slightly. Then she turns away.

WTF? I give a wry smile—that's a phrase I picked up from Emmett. Always makes Esme frown.

I reposition my grip on the guitar case and walk up to the door. Just as I enter, I see my prey—I mean, target, I mean…I don't know what I mean.

"Excuse me?" I say.

She turns around, the scent whirling around her, hitting me in the face and, well, everywhere else.

To my annoyance, a girl in a blue sequined halter top with her jugs nearly falling out trips up to me on heels too high for her to easily balance on. "Can I help you?" Busty asks.

The brunette mutters, "She's with the band."

This girl in the halter top doesn't smell fresh. She hasn't washed those jeans since she last made sexual contact.

"I'm OK, Miss," I reply and go after the brunette who is getting something out of a locker.

"How about you?" I ask. "Are you with the band?" Stupid, stupid. I asked if she was loose. Of course she isn't. One sniff tells me she's a virgin, not a slut.

"No," she replies softly.

I realize I'm hanging on her every word.

"My lucky night then," I say.

I can hear Emmett guffaw from the van. I had almost forgotten he was there. "Smooth," he says.

"Are you looking for the practice rooms?" she asks.

I suddenly remember the guitar, and that I can't play it. "Sure," I almost stutter. What if she wants to hear me play? Crap, crap, crap! Think, think, Whitlock!

I follow her down the hall, lagging behind slightly to get a bit of that heavenly scent and watch her move. She doesn't walk with confidence.

As we get out of earshot of the girl we left standing in the hall, she says, "I didn't think you would be able to hear me, all the way over here."

I pause and she stops, turning to me. "I was listening," I say. That was easy. Forget playing the guitar.

She blushes. The sight of that blood rising in her cheeks almost makes me come undone. _Get a grip._

"Here we are," she said, gesturing to the door.

Here we are. And what am I to do? I run my fingers through my hair but then she turns to leave. _No!_

I reach for her wrist. _Gentle, gentle_. "Where are you going?" I ask.

"I thought you wanted to warm up," she says.

Wait, did she catch my nervousness? I sense her feelings. They are tangled up. She is feeling attracted to me (of course), but is feeling self-conscious too.

"I'm OK, I was just going to drop this off. We've got time before the show starts, right?"

She stares at me, as if unprepared for the word "we." If all goes well, we will be a we forever…

"Show me around?" I ask.

She's staring at me, and I'm starting to melt into those brown eyes. If I still breathed, I might be in trouble, because I would have forgotten how. Time seems to stop when I look at her.

"Sure," she replies. "Not that there's much to see."

_Insecure and nervous? Maybe I haven't lost it after all._ But I can't leave her like that. "I've already found something fascinating," I say.

I'm relieved to hear her heart race. But she's still nervous.

"OK, then," she says. "The school is new, but it's a site of major boredom. So let's go outside."

Outside. Perfect. Get away from all these other heartbeats. "After you," I say and bow. _What, I bowed? Stupid and corny._

As we reach the front door, I open it and hold out my arm for her. She hesitates. I slip my arm around her waist and we walk out together.

As soon as we're through the door, instead of getting away from the other teenagers, we are confronted with a group of young males. And they are all eyeing my lady with interest. Worse, I can feel something coming from her. I glance over to see her smile. Not flirtatious. Something else.

My girl has depth. I suppress the snarl that's building inside and hustle her around the group. I can sense them staring at us as we walk off.

XX

So, Jasper's POV! Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

I really appreciate all of the support I've received for the story this year. My thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited or alerted the story.

Please leave a review and I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.


	14. Band Practice - Jasper - Chapter 3

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice (Jasper's POV) – Chapter 3

_As soon as we're through the door, instead of getting away from the other teenagers, we are confronted with a group of young males. And they are all eyeing my lady with interest. Worse, I can feel something coming from her. I glance over to see her smile. Not flirtatious. Something else._

_My girl has depth. I suppress the snarl that's building inside and hustle her around the group. I can sense them staring at us as we walk off. _

It' only a few hundred yards before we hit the main street. I catch Emmett's eye and I gesture that I'll be back. He starts the van and follows anyway.

We reach the highway and she turns toward a restaurant. I can smell the sickening odor of human food being fried but she isn't hungry. We head toward a darkened area, a park.

A park that features a long, black train locomotive, ensconced under a wooden awning, at the front.

How weird. As we pause to look at it, I can feel my lady's awkwardness spike, but she's about to say something, so I wait.

"So, my name's Bella. What's yours?" she asks.

I'm so hung up listening to the sweet tone of her voice that I don't answer right away. She stares at me. "Oh, sorry," I say. "I'm Jasper."

"Where are you from?"

What a loaded question. I've lived so many places, so many times. "Most recently, Alaska."

"Alaska?" she says. I can feel curiosity percolating through her nervousness.

"Lots of wildlife up there," I tell her. "Not a lot of people. I like it here."

She stays silent.

"I'm guessing you don't," I add.

She blushes and almost stammers out her reply. "It's small. You can walk from one end to the other. No jobs, nothing much to do."

Ah. Boredom, the teenage curse. Trying living stag for a hundred fifty odd years.

We have successfully circumnavigated the locomotive and we're now into the park. I glance across the open field and don't see anyone else, so I guide her to a bench. We sit and watch the light recede from behind the tree line as twilight fades into dusk.

I reach out to touch her hair. So soft under my fingers. "This small town probably seems limiting to you," I whisper, "but right now, it seems the most wonderful place in the world."

She turns and I feel as well as see in her eyes that she believes me. I could feel her reaching for me inside.

I lean forward and touch my lips to her cheek, gauging her reaction to my stony-ness. She starts, but I pull her closer and touch her lips with mine.

Her heart is pounding as she slips her arms around my neck and pulls me closer. I could feel her inhaling my scent. Does she recognize it as her mate's?

We kiss, and I nuzzle my way down her neck. Her pulse is aching beneath my touch and she moans. I pause just above it, longing to break the fragile skin and let that blood into my mouth, but her moan brings forth an unexpected reaction from me. A purr.

I have never purred, though I had heard others purr in the presence of their mates. It felt amazing.

My hands slip down her side to her thigh. It felt good just touching her on the outside of her jeans, nothing too intense in this open space. Just feeling that she was getting comfortable with me.

I could tell she felt awkward, though I didn't know why. Female modesty, maybe? It was such a public place. I would take her somewhere else, but I didn't want to break the moment.

For that, as it turns out, I was about to have unwanted help.

A car drives by, and a few boys whoop at us out the window. I have to suppress a growl.

My beauty pulls back, embarrassed.

"Guess I got a little carried away," I say. I stand and hold out my hand to her. When she tries to stand, her legs are so unsteady she falls back onto the bench on her soft little butt. Adorable.

I laugh despite myself and sit back down next to her, reaching for her hand. "The feeling is mutual."

She blushes. "But you stood up," she declares indignantly.

I smile, lean forward and touch her hair, finger-combing it, luxuriating in its soft waves. I would never get tired of touching her. She would get over her embarrassment in a few seconds and we could continue….Nope.

"Guess we should be going back," she says as she stands up. No wobble this time.

Damn. "If you say so," I say, standing myself. But I could still feel a reluctance in her, so I lean down for a kiss and…

"Wait, it's a dance," she states. "I don't have a dress."

Dress? I'm thinking of taking off her denim vest and she's talking about a dress? Play it cool. "Neither do I," I say, striving for a husky voice while leaning in to nuzzle her behind her ear. Oh, the sound of that blood pumping through her veins. Must be careful, she's so fragile in this human form.

"Silly, you wouldn't wear a dress." She giggles, pushing at my chest.

Wait. She's shoving me back? _Don't growl._ "What should I wear?" I ask.

"You're in the band. Isn't that what you're going to wear on stage?"

I must look confused, because she continues. "What you have on?"

The band. The guitar. "Right," I say. I hear Emmett snorting in the van and I resist shooting him a glare.

"Well, let's go back," she says.

I scratch my head. Should I just hustle her into the van and take off? One look at her trusting face tells me no. I remember, how could I not, after all the time I've spent in high school? This is her night, after all. Her dance. It's an important part of her human life. I need to dance with her.

The walk back to the school only takes a few minutes. As we approach, I look again at the school. The front is lit up and the parking lot filled with cars and…a rush of human scent. Young and mouthwatering. Some of the children are wearing ball gowns while their escorts are awkwardly sporting cheap suits or rented tuxes. Others are looking relaxed in jeans and hoodies.

The mingled scents of tobacco, marijuana, beer and cheap perfume begin to assault me as we get closer. But rising above it all is the sound of laughter and a feeling of happiness. Girls walk past us, their hair put up in weird arrangements, struggling for sophistication. Some apprehension, some darker feelings, but mostly I'm feeling the joy and excitement of being a human teenager.

For a moment I feel a twinge of regret for what I'm about to do. What right have I to take her away from this? Then I remember the feelings I've been picking up from her. Unworthiness. Loneliness. And once she saw me, shy joy. She isn't happy here.

She is meant to be with me. I feel stronger, but also protective.

She should have her dance.

XX

So, Jasper's POV! Hope you're enjoying the story so far.

I really appreciate all of the support I've received for the story this year. My thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited or alerted the story.

Please leave a review and I will send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.


	15. Band Practice - Jasper - Chapter 4

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Sweet Jasper)

Band Practice (Jasper's POV) – Chapter 4

_She is meant to be with me. I feel stronger, but also protective._

_She should have her dance._

At the front door, I buy tickets. I notice the ticket sellers casting disparaging looks at Bella's jeans and plaid shirt, but then they see me and they don't look at Bella again. The feeling of unworthiness drifting my way after this encounter does not make me happy. Weren't these her classmates and friends?

As we walk to the auditorium, the sound of a ballad being played drifts into the hall and Bella slows. Good. She wants to go in, because I'm not ready to tell her about my inability to play guitar.

"Shall we?" I ask, jerking my head toward the auditorium.

"I'm not dressed," she says.

"I don't care," I whisper and tug her into the auditorium. Once inside, I find an empty spot on the edge of the dance floor and pull her close. She melts into my arms, fitting into them perfectly.

"I can't dance," she says.

I suppress the urge to roll my eyes. "Just follow me," I tell her, looking into her eyes. I could feel she is slightly dazzled, but I don't care. Just enough to overcome her fear of dancing.

It works.

The young buck on the stage isn't doing a great job of singing, but the song, a Bob Seeger classic, isn't bad. "Here I am / On the road again / There I am up on the stage…"

We sway and I feel Bella relaxing in my arms. She closes her eyes and I smile. She's enjoying herself. I realize I'm not paying attention to the other dancers, except for an eye on the males who might be getting too close to my lovely. My focus has changed in the past hour. It's all on her.

When the song ends, the band starts a fast number. The guitar and drums are not working together and the cacophony is just too much. I lead her out.

We take a left and as I pull her into a darkened hallway she resists. "The band room is over there." She stares at me and says, "Your guitar…"

"Later," I reply. I'm getting impatient with my cover story. Our brief closeness has been too much. I no longer care that she will feel how different I am, I need to feel her body next to mine. I need to touch, smell, feel all of that warmth; to watch how the blood flows under her skin and hear her sighs as I touch her.

I find an unlocked door and tug her inside a darkened classroom. Her hand feels for a light switch along the wall but I capture it in mine, pushing her up against the wall, putting my hand behind her head as I pull her close. I breathe in her breath, suck in her essence. I can feel her body molding against mine.

I realize she is made for me.

She stands on her tiptoes to put her arms around my shoulders, and I bend down toward her. She grabs on to me, wrapping her legs around my waist. I'm charmed by her unexpected forwardness. I barely need the small dose of lust I send her to get her to overlook how hard and cold my body feels.

For a few minutes, the world stops for us. Everything ceases to matter—the thirst and the decades of loneliness. The only thing that exists is the heartbeat, breath and caresses of the small warm being in my arms.

But I can sense I risk losing control and hurting her in this awkward place, a classroom where anyone else, including other lovers looking for privacy, might barge in.

So I reluctantly let her slide down and we leave the classroom. She takes me to the band room where I pick up the guitar and head for the exit.

As we pass the auditorium, I can hear the raucous sounds of bands and cheers going up. Must be a local favorite.

She stops and looks at me expectantly.

I wait.

"Stage fright?" she asks.

Time to come clean. "Can't play," I respond.

"Wait, what?" she says.

I tug at her hair playfully as I put my arm around her waist. "Going to walk away because I'm not a future rock star?"

"You do look the part," she mumbles.

The feelings coming off of her don't contain much disappointment. Quite a lot of lust. _Nice job, Whitlock. You know how to attract your mate. Isn't that supposed to come naturally?_

"Want to hear me sing?" I ask. Without waiting for a response, I croon, "Let's stay together…"

She slaps at me. Playfully.

"I mean it. I want us to stay together. Forever." And my statement is much more than a high school romance or BFF.

She looks into my eyes, and I can tell she understands. Her eyes run deep. We leave the building via the back door, and I lead her to the van, pull open the rear door and climb in. I hold out my hand as this needs to be her choice.

She doesn't hesitate.

I help her in then pull her onto my lap.

She finally gives me her answer. "That sounds great."

I nuzzle her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "Does it? Would you?"

"Hold on," she says, pushing at my chest. I freeze, suppressing a snarl at the thought of my mate pushing me back. Again. That's not how it works in the vampire world. She will be in for an adjustment when we start living on my terms.

"If you can't play, why did you stop at the high school?"

Oh. She had a question. Truth time. "I was in the forest when I picked up your scent. I couldn't stay away. I saw you inside the school, and saw the signs for the bands. So I picked up this guitar."

I wait for her reaction to my statement that I could smell her. It seems to barely faze her. I wait for any kind of reaction to my strangeness to a mortal. She must notice that my body is hard and cold, yet she doesn't pull away.

"And the van?" she asks.

"Borrowed. Short term loan," I reply.

"Thought I recognized it. Does Pete know?"

"Probably not, as he was passed out inside of his cabin," I say. "Answer my question again. Would you?"

"Would I what?" she asked.

"Stay with me forever?" I ask in a hoarse whisper. The breath that she exhales, for however much longer she remains human, is warm and sweet. The scent of her blood is starting to recede as an interest as I feel the strength of the bond between us increasing. The feeling is as intoxicating as her scent was before. I kiss her neck.

"Yes," she moans. "Yes."

"That's all I needed to know," I whisper. I give a few taps to the front of the paneling, and Emmett starts the van.

She looks up at me, puzzled.

"My brother, Emmett," I tell her. "He's driving us home."

That appears to sound good to my sweet girl, as she relaxes into my arms. She doesn't even seem surprised when a few minutes later my nuzzles on her neck become a bite.

Xxx

Emmett drives quickly, picking up speed as she starts to scream. We ditch the car and go high up into the mountains, me carrying her, my heart breaking as she begins to thrash and scream from the pain of the change.

Over the next day, her struggles and screams lessened from exhaustion, but her agony still blazed through via my gift. It was a long three days, because though I've seen thousands of changes, I never saw anyone I cared about go through this change. The agony she suffered ripped at my soul. If I could have traded places with her and gone through it all again, I would. But it's the hell each of us must endure.

Bella looked so fragile the entire time. She had a delicate beauty as a human, and those looks are transferring over.

The rest of the Cullens join us during the transformation, and because Bella's prints are in the car, Emmett pushes it into the ocean, much to Esme's consternation about damaging the ecosystem. Carlisle isn't happy about the van, but he's happy I've found my mate.

On the third day, her heartbeat finally stops.

She wakes up, blinks her glorious red eyes, and immediately goes into a crouch, feeling for the wall behind her. I'm proud of her instincts. _Make sure of your back, find a corner to defend._

Good thing I've had a lot of experience with newborns.

She snarls at me from her crouched position, ready for combat. She's definitely shed the mousy personality that she used as a cover back in Forks.

I'm ready for her. She is a fascinating, roiling mass of emotions, ranging from fear, confusion, thirst and lust. I'll outmaneuver her, my little kitten with claws, and we'll take turns biting one another until she calms down in a year or so. Then we'll face our forever. Together. Just as the song says, and just as it should be.

Xx

THE END

So, Happy Halloween everybody!

Ended this year on a sweet (I hope) note! Leave me a note, let me know what you think! I've really appreciated all the support shown for my stories.

I will have another story coming, late November or December. Working on it now.


	16. After

It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. This chapter is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

Visions of smashed pumpkins and Jasper sitting in a tree inspired this little "after the party" story.

_After the ball is over,  
>After the break of morn –<br>After the dancers' leaving;  
>After the stars are gone;<br>Many a heart is aching,  
>If you could read them all;<br>Many the hopes that have vanished  
>After the ball.<em>

-Charles K. Harris, 1891

After

"3-2-1!" The partygoers chanted out the countdown as Bella readied the jack-o-lantern for the Forks Annual Pumpkin Suicide at 10:00 p.m.

Bella got the pumpkin ready, then took a precautionary peek below. It was clear, no one was in harm's way. Several of the guys had expressed doubt about her ability to lift a pumpkin that large, but she was determined to prove them wrong. It had been a bit of a balancing act, but she had maneuvered it to the window sill by herself. Without tripping and smashing it on the way.

Now she gave the jack-o-lantern a mighty shove.

Bam-smack! A mess of stringy pumpkin guts and seeds flew in all directions on the sidewalk in front of her house. The Jack, as she called it, had been a big guy, with a scary scowl. Now he was a mess on the sidewalk, one she would have to clean up in the morning.

As she turned around in triumph, she saw Mike withdrawing his arm back from around Lauren's waist. When he saw Bella, he cut his eyes to the side, looking guilty. She felt her heart stop in her chest.

She'd been worried about this. Lauren had been dating a guy, Dale, from a bigger school in Port Angeles. That lasted until the creep made a Facebook post about "easy pickings from hick schools." Her parents found out and Lauren's weekly "shopping trips" to Port Angeles stopped.

Lauren's posse had kept her mostly protected from the fallout at school, but she had quickly launched a search for her next boyfriend, and had been watching Bella and Mike. "Low hanging fruit" was the phrase Bella heard bandied about. Guess Lauren thought breaking them up shouldn't be hard to do.

Tonight Lauren had come to Bella's party in a Red Riding Hood costume with the corset laced tightly so as to show off her…assets. In Bella's opinion she had all but put them on a platter. You could count the freckles on each boob. Yuck.

But still, this confirmation that Lauren was getting through to Mike shook Bella. She looked down, pretending to be wiping something from her hands, in order to hide the flush that she was sure was spreading across her face. Then she pasted on a smile. Party time. And tonight, show time, as this year the Halloween party was at her house. Charlie wouldn't be back until after his shift ended at 11:00 p.m.

As she looked into the assembled faces, she noticed the new kids, the GQ gang, as she and Angela called them, sitting by themselves around the TV by Charlie's chair. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper Cullen. She didn't know why they had bothered to come. Surely they had other places to be, places better than the parties for the bigger schools. Like at an exclusive private club in Seattle. Or on their exclusive private jet. She liked to imagine the Cullens had one. They were mysterious enough to have a private plane on a private runway, waiting to whisk them off to exciting places.

Some place better than Forks, Washington.

One of the guys was watching her intently. The lanky blond, Jasper, was sprawled ou in Charlie's chair, with his arm across the back. He looked natural in it, somehow. He also had an intense look on his face as he stared at her, as if he was reading her every thought and emotion.

Unexpectedly, she felt a bit of relaxation flood over her.

Maybe she had been ready to break up with Mike? It just didn't seem to matter as much anymore.

She took a deep breath and felt ready to return to her hostess duties: back to bobbing for apples and other hokey Halloween party games for those who weren't tucked into corners, necking or drinking. She hoped the drinkers knew to take their beer bottles and flasks with them. She didn't need to explain their presence to Charlie.

She took a quick sniff. Could she smell beer? Oh lord, no.

About an hour later, as she was showing everyone out of the house, the three Cullens lingered behind in the hallway as the other guests filed out.

Mike was one of the last to leave. She noticed the Cullens were watching his departure with interest.

"Great party, Bella. See you in school on Monday, 'k?" Mike said.

Bella smiled. "Good-night, Mike. Thanks for coming."

Lauren walked down the steps in front of Mike. She seemed to have chosen her position to show off her Red Riding Hood skirt, which bounced as she walked, showing off the ruffle panties she wore beneath it.

Bella and Mike had been a couple since just before prom. In a town this size, there weren't a lot of options. Mike seemed to be a pretty decent guy. His father owned the local sporting goods store Bella had worked at over the past two summers. After tonight, though, things seemed to be ending between them, thanks to Lauren.

The blond, Jasper, was the last to leave, and was still standing on the porch as Charlie appeared at the bottom step.

"Anybody need a ride home?" Charlie asked.

"No, sir, "replied Jasper.

"Just checking."

Jasper gracefully loped down the front steps and joined his brothers in the front yard. They all climbed into an enormous red Jeep parked across K Street.

"Nice young man," Charlie commented as he watched the Jeep pull away. "One of Dr. Cullen's kids, right?"

"Yes," said Bella.

"Where's Mike?" Charlie asked.

The well of pain Bella had felt at Mike's betrayal suddenly returned. "Oh, he went out with Eric. Guy stuff, you know."

Charlie raised an eyebrow but didn't push the issue. He held the door open for Bella then followed her inside, casting a last look at the street before closing the door.

"Need any help cleaning up?" he asked. She noticed he gave a slight scowl as he sniffed the air.

"We got it, Mr. Swan," Angela answered form the living room.

"Oh, Angela," Charlie said. "I didn't know you were still here. How are you this evening?"

"Just fine, sir."

A few minutes later, the girls had finished cleaning up.

"Let us give you a ride home, Angela," Charlie said.

"Thanks," Angela said. "I'd appreciate it."

They drove Angela home and started the return trip silently. On their way, Bella saw that the streets were nearly empty. There were only a few Halloween stragglers left, mostly adults in costumes, laughing and walking in small groups. Any trick-or-treaters were long since home in bed.

"I'll be going in early tomorrow, Bells," Charlie said as turned past the hospital. "Don't worry about breakfast. Sleep in, it's Saturday.'

"OK," Bella said as she looked out the window.

As Charlie pulled into the driveway, the feeling of relief she had felt evaporated and she was flooded with pain both from the betrayal and from feelings of inadequacy. She raced up the stairs so Charlie wouldn't see the tears that began before she finished undressing, and almost caused her to choke while brushing her teeth.

She got to bed and muffled her sobs in her pillows. Finally she drifted off.

Something called her back from her dreams. She woke to the sound of a tap at the window.

When she sat up, the pain was gone, just a feeling of curiosity left in its place.

She went to the window and was startled to see the blond, Jasper, sitting in the tree not far from her window. She started to raise the sill and a pebble flew past her. Jasper smiled then cut a look below.

There was a whispered "sorry" from the darkness. She looked down and could see two shadows, one big and one tall. Must be Emmett and Edward, the other two brothers.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered to Jasper.

Jasper flicked on a flashlight and shone it on the ground below. It illuminated Emmett who was carrying an enormous jack-o-lantern.

"We wanted to give you another shot at your pumpkin suicide ritual," Jasper replied. "We've got a three story house, so it'll be an even more spectacular drop."

She giggled. "My Dad…"

"Is snoring in his room on the side of the house," Jasper said.

Bella looked behind her, biting her lip. "I can't get past him. He hears me when I go down the stairs…"

"Got that covered," whispered Emmett, gesturing to the wall.

She looked directly beneath her window and saw a ladder leaning against the house.

"You can't be serious!" she whispered.

Emmett set the pumpkin down and walked to the base of the ladder.

"Do I have to come up there and get you?" he asked, turning a flashlight onto his face to show that he was wiggling his eyebrows.

There was a soft thump behind him, and she saw Jasper standing up from a crouch. He had jumped from that branch?

Jasper came to the bottom for the ladder and quickly climbed up to her window. "Perfectly safe," he said, holding out his hand.

"Just a minute, I'm not dressed," she mumbled.

She grabbed jeans and a sweater from off of the chair by her desk. She took them into her closet and shut the door. No light. Fumbling around, she pulled on the jeans, trying not to tip over in the cramped space, visions of being pierced through with wire hangers dancing in her head.

Finally she emerged, more or less dressed.

"At last," Jasper said, still leaning on his elbows on the window sill. As she sat on the bed to put on her shoes, he added, "I thought I was going to have to send in a search party."

Her heart beat faster as she rose. Leave a note for Charlie? No, he was going to leave early in the morning, before he expected her to get up.

She went to the window and Jasper helped her onto the ladder.

She made it to the base without mishaps. She took a deep breath as she reached the ground before turning to her three new friends.

As she turned, Edward gave a few quiet claps of approval and Emmett scooped up the jack-o-lantern. Jasper asked, "Ready?"

She nodded and he motioned toward the street. There was a shadow of a dark car, barely visible in the moonlight.

Jasper shone the flashlight in front and she picked her way across the yard to K Street. When they got to the road, she saw that instead of the red Jeep, they had brought a black Mercedes. When Edward opened the door, the car started pinging. Jasper winced, but Emmett just shoved his pumpkin in the back seat and said, "Let's go."

As Bella settled inside next to the pumpkin, she looked around. This was a nice car. Edward pulled out without turning on the headlights.

Within a few minutes they were outside of Forks on the 1010, and Edward finally turned on the headlights. At the rate of speed he was driving, she really didn't want to look outside. She only hoped they didn't get pulled over. How would she explain to Charlie what she was doing out in this car with three guys at 3:15 a.m. when he thought she was in bed?

Where did the Cullens live again? She had heard they had bought an old farmhouse outside of town. The rumor was that Mrs. Cullen loved to decorate, so she was planning to remodel it.

They seemed to drive a long time before turning off and pulling up in front of a large house.

The guys piled out of the car quickly. Jasper held out his hand to her in a courtly manner, while Emmett retrieved the jack-o-lantern, pulling the huge gourd out of the backseat easily.

"Here we are," said Jasper.

"What about your parents?" Bella asked, looking out across the open ground surrounding the house.

"Oh, they're probably up. We're all night owls."

"C'mon," said Emmett. "I'll show you the launch pad."

His smile was so infectious that she followed them inside the house without hesitation. They didn't turn on many lights, but tiptoed up the stairs. How Emmett managed to be so quiet carrying that massive pumpkin she didn't know.

Finally they were inside of a room on the top floor. It was lined with CD's and books.

"Is this a study?" Bella asked.

"No, this is my room," said Edward.

"No bed?"

The eyes of all three guys seemed to snap in her direction and she blushed.

"I don't sleep," he replied.

"Ever?"

"Ever," Edward said.

"OK then," she said. "Where's the pumpkin drop off point?"

Edward slid open what she had thought was a floor-to-ceiling window and they went outside onto a five foot walkway that wrapped around the top floor. She looked down below. "Where's the railing?"

"We're just careful," Jasper said.

"This will make a great launch pad. I think…right here," said Emmett, setting the jack-o-lantern on the edge of the catwalk. "This is not really stable, so you should push it soon, or it will fall of its own accord."

"Can't have that," whispered Bella. Where were their parents? She gave a shove and the pumpkin sailed over the edge, hitting something below with a crash.

"What was that?" she asked, worried.

Emmett stretched out his neck, looking down over the edge of the catwalk.

"Um, looks like Mom's gardening cart. Former gardening cart."

A door opened on the first floor and light spilled out onto the lawn below.

"Emmett?" came a female voice that could only be described as 'calm mom'. Calm before the storm.

"Yes?" Emmett asked.

"May I see you?" the female voice asked.

Emmett went to the door, pausing with his hand on the door frame. "Nice meeting you, Bella," he said as he stepped back inside.

Jasper and Bella followed him back into the room, where Jasper sat down on the sofa in the room and gestured for Bella to sit next to him. She paused for a second then thought, OK, since it's not his room, after all.

"That was my fault. I should go down there and apologize," Bella said.

"Later," Jasper replied. "We can meet my parents later. After they're done chatting with Emmett."

"I saw your father at the clinic last week," Bella said. "He looks so young."

"They're my step parents," Jasper replied. "I was adopted."

"I'm sorry," Bella said. "You lost your parents?"

"It all happened a long time ago. I don't remember much about my human family."

"Human?" she asked.

"I mean, original family," he replied. "Sorry, just the Halloween vibe, you know?"

They looked outside at the stars that appeared occasionally through breaks in the clouds and he slipped his arm around her.

"So, was what you had with Mike serious?" he asked. "Should I beat him up for you?"

"No," Bella said. "I don't know how to express it. I mean, he asked me out, and I said OK. I wanted it to be something more, but… That must sound wrong."

"No," Jasper said. "I can understand. Until you've met the one you're supposed to be with, you don't know how love is supposed to feel."

"You seem to know something about it."

"Not from experience, only observation," said Jasper. "Until recently." He reached out his hand and touched her hair. "There's a lot of love in my family. I feel surrounded by it."

She shivered. It felt good. _Recently, huh? So he's just getting over somebody. Just my luck. Guess that makes two of us then._

Jasper picked up a remote control and said, "Let's see if Edward's got anything worth listening to."

Some soft jazz came on. Nothing challenging, more mood music.

Jasper lifted an eyebrow. "Interesting."

"Why?" she asked.

"He's kind of a confirmed bachelor."

"Then wouldn't he have all the, um, gadgets?" She gestured toward the remote controls.

"I more meant he's a loner, an outsider."

"That's sad," Bella said.

"It is," he agreed. "It's hard to be alone."

Jasper picked up another remote and started playing with the buttons. A large screen came down from the ceiling, covering one of the windows.

"Wow," said Bella.

"He's got all the electronic toys," Jasper commented dryly. "Let's see what's playing at the single-plex tonight."

They ended up watching an old black and white movie, "The Haunting of Hill House," with Shirley Jackson. It was sufficiently creepy that Bella found it necessary to curl up into Jasper's arms. His body under his long-sleeved t-shirt was hard with muscles.

When it was over, Jasper stood up, pulling her with him.

"Sun's going to be rising soon," he said. "See the light coming up behind the trees?"

"Not really," she said. "Your eyes must be sharp."

"So they tell me," he replied.

Jasper didn't turn on the light, and they stared out the window in silence, looking at the stars and moon that occasionally broke free of the clouds. She loved the moment, as they stood with his arm around her waist, her head leaning against his upper arm as she was too short to reach his shoulder. The trees outside were just gray forms under the night sky.

"I had a nice night," Jasper said quietly. "I don't want it to end."

"Me either," she said, lifting her hand to her shoulder. He put his hand in hers, then pulled her back against his chest. She breathed in, inhaling his musky male scent. He put his chin on her shoulder, his hair tickling her.

She giggled.

"What?" he asked.

"Your hair's tickling me."

He kissed the top of her head.

"My dad's going to miss me soon," she said.

"So he is," Jasper agreed, as he put his lips against the pulse point in her throat. "Welcome to my forever," he whispered as he sank his teeth into her neck.

THE END

Xx

"The End" for real this time. Had to do an "after the party" story this year.

Hope you guys had a wonderful October and great Halloween. The last of the trick-or-treaters around left around 9:00, so I finished up this story while I waited for them.

Thanks again for all of the support you've shown for the story this year.


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